


End of Line

by MorbidBirdy



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: 1x3x1, 3x4 - Freeform, AU, Action/Adventure, Angst, Complete, F/M, M/M, Multi, Post-Tron: Legacy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Slash, implied sexual violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2018-10-28 15:12:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 131,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10833834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorbidBirdy/pseuds/MorbidBirdy
Summary: The Grid, the legendary Tron System, has always intrigued Duo Maxwell. After years of dreaming and months of tireless work, he finally receives the final part he needs to unlock the door to the digital frontier. A blast of a digitizing laser later he finds himself in the world of his dreams. However, soon that dream becomes a nightmare as he comes to realize that his existence in this new world is both a danger to him and to the programs who reside there. With the help of Security Program Trowa and a mysteriously damaged and glitchy program named Heero, he embarks on a journey through The Grid to seek help from a mysterious entity known as the Gatekeeper. Will he be able to get out of the Tron System, or will the organizations who are hunting him manage to derez him first?





	1. Chapter 1

“Aegis?!”

He could hear the desperation and panic in his companion’s voice. It wasn’t often that his normally stoic lover showed anything but focus and determination in the face of adversity. Aegis could tell he was scared. He could feel his fear manifest within his own chest.

“Ancile,” he croaked hoarsely. “I’m here...” He tried to force more power into his voice but despite his best efforts his words seemed to vanish as soon as they were released.

He peered up through the darkness at the white light-lined edge of the obsidian cliff twenty-five stories above. He could barely make out the faintly glowing outline of his partner as he stood on the edge, looking down into the gloom in search of him.

He had fallen into a pitch black chasm, and while the fall itself hadn’t derezzed him his legs had been rendered useless and a deep, pixelated gash on his left shoulder made the use of his left arm impossible. He pushed himself up to a half-sit with his right arm and groped around in the darkness for his baton, which had fallen out of his hand when he fell.  
  
The low, resounding hum of incoming recognizers filled the air as the massive vehicles came to supply the enemy purgers with more troops. He knew that if Ancile didn’t get out of there he was going to be captured, or worse derezzed. Ancile had to protect Elios and he had to guard the Gate.

“Aegis?! Can you hear me?!” The sound of his name being called out so despairingly caused Aegis’s eyes to involuntarily fill with radiant, cyan tears. The terror in the other program’s voice was foreign. He had never heard him sound so fearful before. He wanted to reassure him that he was there and that he still existed, but the now deafening roar of the incoming enemy became too great for him to yell over. The ground beneath him began to vibrate as the enormous recognizers grew closer.

“Come on, we’ve got to go! NOW! Ancile, he’s gone! We must go!”  Asher‘s voice bellowed through the din of the battle raging on the cliff above him.

“He’s there! I’m not leaving him behind!”  
  
“Think of your function! Do you deny your directive? Go! We must get to the Gate!” Their fellow Aether guard commanded. Aegis frowned. He knew that Asher was right and he could feel the tension of Ancile’s struggle at their fellow guard’s words. Through their shared connection Aegis felt his lover’s frustration. However, the sensation quickly transformed. He felt his reluctance, and then finally his steeled resolve.   
  
The thin, invisible thread that bound them together became taut as his other half retreated.  Aegis felt his entire body tense as their connection pulled tighter and strained as the distance grew between them. Finally it snapped with a painful, violent jolt. The anxiety and fear that his lover had once projected to him began to fade away as their physical beings were forced further apart.

Soon he felt nothing of his second half and for the first time since they were both compiled he was completely alone.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured into the darkness. He looked up at the empty, black cliff and watched as its edge filled with the bright red, glowing shapes of Clu’s Black Guard. _I’ve failed._

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Churning, cool aquamarine waters roiled overhead, glistening with mid-afternoon sunbeams as the sharp undertow of the retreating wave tugged at Duo’s legs as it attempted to suck him away from the shoreline. He kicked hard against its pull and swam as hard as he could up, in the direction of the oblong, black silhouette that was his wayward surfboard. He broke the water’s surface with a loud gasp followed by an unrestrained, excited laugh. 

“Woo! Now THAT was a phat wave!” he yelled to nobody in particular as he groped the water near his ankles for the tether that connected him to his white and neon green shortboard, which was attempting to ride the next incoming curl on its own. He reeled it in by its tether and flopped his wetsuit-clad torso across its waxy deck while he tried to catch his breath.

“DUO! HEY, DUO!” A familiar voice broke through the crashing roar of the high surf from the direction of the beach. Duo heaved himself up to a sit on his bobbing board and shaded his eyes as he peered back at the sand. He spotted Howard on the shore standing ankle-deep in the water with an unlit cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth holding something clutched in an upraised fist.

“Oi! Howie, what’s up?!” he yelled at his old friend. He flopped down onto his belly and began to paddle the board to the shore.

“I’ve got the thing!” Howard yelled, his voice accented with excitement.

“The thing?” Duo muttered to himself as he casually rode in on the waves. “What thing… oh shit, what? The thing!” He exclaimed excitedly as he realized just what the ‘thing’ was. He paddles his arms frantically through the water as he rode the board in. When he neared the water’s foamy edge he stood up and jumped hurriedly off of the board as it skid to a stop. A few paces later he was lying face-first with a mouth full of sand. He had completely forgotten about the ankle tether.

Howard’s belly laugh accompanied Duo’s gagging and dry coughing as he dragged himself up from the sand, yanked the tether angrily from his ankle and stumbled over to him.

“Oh shit, man, I can’t believe it!” Duo panted as he attempted to dust off the thin crust of white sand that coated the entire front side of his body. “Where did you find it?”

Howard held up a polished lens the size of a clementine for Duo’s inspection. “Found it after our last dredge,” the older man replied with a satisfied smile. “Some guy who worked out in California had it, said he scrapped this from some old arcade. Wanted a pretty penny for it, too.”

Duo frowned. “Arcade? Like…  _ the arcade? _ ” He grasped his braid with both hands and began to wring the saltwater from of it, his expression stunned. “3882 Watseka Ave, Culver City, California?” He recited the legendary address from memory the way a priest could cite scripture from the Holy Book.

“Well, he didn’t say all that,” Howard admitted as he rolled the lens between his forefinger and thumb and admired how it caught and concentrated the bright afternoon light.   
  
“How much did he charge you for it?’ Duo asked as he peeled off the arms and upper torso of his black wetsuit. “How much do I owe ya?”

Howard chuckled. “He wanted fifty-thousand for it,” he began. Duo scoffed loudly in response. “But I ended up winning it in a game of darts, so this one’s for free.”

Duo’s grin stretched from ear to ear. He hurriedly peeled the remainder of his wetsuit from his body, grabbed his board from the sand and hauled it all in the direction of his seaside bungalow which stood nestled beneath a cluster of lush, windswept palms. He leaned his board up against the peeling red, orange and yellow painted slats and quickly draped his wetsuit across a nearby weatherbeaten beach chair. He wiped off the remainder of the sand from his hands against his damp purple and swim trunks before he made a toddler-style grabbing gesture with both hands at Howard, who handed his prize over with a satisfied smile.

“This is custom. This is definitely custom made, I mean… look at this. The optical axis looks like it has that thick, specialized AR coating like the kind Flynn said he made, so…” Duo was mumbling to himself as he carefully handled the lens while he inspected it. Howard propped his hands up on his hips and chewed the end of his cigar as he watched Duo study his new part.

“So what are you using all of this stuff for anyway? It’s like you’ve been collecting things for months,” Howard asked curiously. He peered over his dark, tinted sunglasses and quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Seven months, twenty-two days, thirteen hours…” Duo reported with a smirk.

“You’re counting the hours?!” Howard asked incredulously.

“Nah, I’m just kiddin’...” Duo replied before he trudged across the sand in the direction of the front door of the bungalow. “It’s been only nine hours, thirty-one minutes and sixteen seconds, seventeen seconds, eighteen seconds…” he chanted as skipped up the steps to the door.   
  
Howard chuckled. “So you’re not gonna let me in? Not even after that amazing find?”

Duo paused with his hand on the doorknob. He smiled and eyed the older man over his shoulder. “Maybe. One day. I promise, if I ever get the damn thing to work you’ll be the first person I show it to.”

Howard tossed his hands in the air in a gesture of defeat. “Well then, see ya later kid,” he grumbled around his cigar before he turned on his heels and hobbled away down the beach.

Duo watched him go until he was nothing more than a shrinking dot on the shore before he dug his key from the small, hidden pocket in the waistband of his swim trunks and unlocked the door. As he slipped inside he flicked the light switch to illuminate the hidden, packed hoard of computers, wires, server racks and white, cardboard comic book storage boxes within. Rainbow cascades of wires and cords spilled across the floor and poured forth from the blinking, humming server racks. Despite the two air conditioning units roaring at full blast on either side of the crammed room it was still uncomfortably warm and stuffy from the excessive amount of electronics whirring and buzzing from every corner of the bungalow.

He hopped over a zip tied cluster of power cords and padded up to a large video game arcade cabinet tucked away in the far right corner of the room. The cabinet itself had seen better days. Its sides were slightly warped. The right side had a large, vertical crack in the wood that was held together with neon blue duct tape. Its black varnish had faded off in spots and the decals had long since peeled off, leaving only the remnants of dry, adhesive behind.   
  
Duo approached the cabinet reverently with the lens clutched tightly in hand.   
  
“This is it! I’ve got your last piece, baby!” He exclaimed. He dug around in a nearby milk crate and fished out a small polishing cloth and began furiously wiping down the lens.

He was beyond excited, he was ecstatic. After months of searching, tinkering, building and creative jury rigging his plans were finally coming to fruition. He had the last piece of the puzzle. It had taken months to acquire what he needed to complete the digitizing laser, and the lens was the final piece what would, hopefully, gain him access to the Tron System, a legendary digital world.

Duo had first heard of Tron and the works of Kevin Flynn at a very young age. He had overheard a few of Howard’s Sweeper pals joking around and telling stories about the digital frontier as if it were merely an urban legend. Maybe he was merely acting on the obsessions of a fantastical childish mind, but he had always felt that it was real and that it was still there, ubiquitous and just beneath the surface of every piece of technology that he encountered.

Finding a way in became a passion that gradually evolved into a moderate obsession. He began studying computer science and engineering in college simply to facilitate his search for the gateway into a world he knew just had to exist.

Real life soon fell by the wayside as he began to commit every ounce of energy and free time to his personal quest. He failed out of school and ended up drifting for nearly a year with Howard and the Sweeper Group until he could get his feet back on the ground. To get by he scrapped and started to do odd hacking jobs, contracted programming and bug bounties under an alias for extra cash to put into his pet project. 

Soon his hacker moniker “BL^CKWYND_SHINIG ∀ M1” became well-known in the Darknet. Eventually he had to start turning down jobs and contracts to make time for his personal project. He had amassed enough income to go into what he liked to call “ _ temporary retirement”, _ purchased the bungalow on a secluded beach on Oahu in cash and for the past six months had dedicated the majority of his time to finding a way into his personal mythical Land of Oz, the Tron System.

He had studied all of Kevin Flynn’s old publications and books. The texts were nothing but classic science fiction by the general population but Duo considered the contents of those books a literal map that could direct him into the digitized world.    


He carefully set the lens aside and grabbed a black rectangular box from the top of the antique arcade cabinet that housed the laser head and diode. He gathered it up with the new lens, set it on a nearby workbench and began the tedious task of installing the new pump focusing lens Howard had won for him. After nearly an hour of intricate work there was a knock on the door. He scowled down at his nearly completed project. There was no way he was going to tear himself from his task, especially considering how close he was to finally finishing. He dipped his fingers back into the laser housing and flinched as a fist banged the door again, louder this time.

“Nobody’s home!”

“Fo’real, haole?! You think we bakatare?!” A familiar child’s voice sounded through the door.

“Huh? Nah! Hold up!” Duo yelled back. He set his tools to the side and hopped off of his stool, jumped over the chaotic jumble of wires and surge protectors on the floor and opened the door. 

Three round, cheerful faces grinned up at him.

“Duo! Why you lyin’?!” six-year-old Makaio asked as his darkly tanned face morphed into a scowl.

“Sorry, sorry guys,” he said hurriedly as he forced his body through the door and slammed it closed behind himself. “I was busy, is all.”

“You’re always busy,” the eldest, nine-year-old Kahili, complained. “Can we come in and see now? Or you still keepin’ it kapu?”

“Yeah, I heard you got video games in there!” Puanani exclaimed as she rolled and tugged her two long, black braided pigtails eagerly with both hands. For being seven-years-old she was just as tall as her older brother, Kahili.

“Video games?” Duo echoed as his smile turned upside down into a frown. “Who told you that?”

“Dem wave hogs who surf over on the atoll! You know, the big hairy ‘n ugly one with the pineapple tattoo! He says you’re hidin’ your video games in there and that you’re lolo,” Makaio explained with a sigh as he rubbed the back of his sandy head. It was obvious that the statement had bothered him. The boy had grown rather fond of him since he had moved there, and he had a feeling he was more offended by the comment than he was.

Duo knew that there had been rumors floating around the island about him that he was always holed up in his bungalow doing something secretive. The standing rumor for the past few months had been that he was running a meth lab on the beach. After a few unexpected visits from the island’s VICE police division he figured those rumors would eventually be squashed, but he had no idea that the new word on the street was about video games. He had been especially careful not to mention his work to anyone on the island so he was surprised to hear this news. Word tended to travel fast and he began to wonder just who started this rumor, and how much they actually knew.

“Well, I do have some video games,” he confirmed to the kids with a grin as he leaned his back against the closed door. He crossed his arms over his bare chest and eyed them closely. “And I am pretty crazy, so they’re not wrong there.”

“Why won’t you let us see ‘em?” Kahili asked, “I thought we’re friends?”

Duo sighed. “Well yeah, of course! You guys are the coolest ‘lil keikis I know,” he attempted to assure them with a smile. They weren’t buying it.

“You won’t show us your video games, and here we brought you some of that manapua you like!” Puanani pointed at a crumpled white paper bag clutched in the little Makaio’s hand. If Duo had dog ears they would have perked at the mention of his favorite Hawaiian snack. He could go the rest of his life eating nothing but those delectable barbeque-pork filled buns.

“Oh? For me, you say?” he said with a predatory grin. Makaio screamed and turned on his heels to run. He darted off in the direction of the water with a series of shrill, excited shrieks.

“Run, Makaio, run! He’s mean, no manapua for him!” Puanani laughed. Duo smirked and launched himself from the deck of his bungalow to chase after the little boy, who was quickly approaching the water’s edge.

“Don’t waste perfectly good food!” Duo whined.

“Show me your games!” Makaio wailed as his feet splashed into the surf. He stopped knee-deep in the water and spun around with the bag held high over his head as he threatened to dunk it into the ocean. Duo skid to a stop as his toes were licked by the waves and laughed.

“You wanna play my games that bad, huh?” he chuckled between pants. “Fine-fine, just don’t ruin the buns, okay?”

The little boy laughed and sloshed happy back in the direction of the bungalow with an accomplished smile. “He’s gonna let us play!” he exclaimed happily to his siblings.

“Eh? No foolin’?” Kahili’s face illuminated with surprise. Duo had known these kids for months and never once were they allowed inside his bungalow. He figured that if the entire island was going to be in on his business he might as well feed into it a little bit. He knew that if he showed the kids a good time and let them mess around a little they would run to tell anyone who would listen that they were over at his place playing games. He hoped that the innocence of the story would satisfy the locals and maybe get them to shift their curiosity to someone else.

Little Makaio shoved the now damp bag of pork buns eagerly into Duo’s hands before running up to the bungalow to meet his older brother and sister, who were already stumbling over one another to get through the door to see inside. He paused just outside of the door to slap the sand loose from the bottoms of his feet before following them.

“Oooh! What’s that? And what’s this? Can I have this? What is this thing here?” Puanani was chirping cheerfully as she poked around the shelves of equipment.

“Your house is messy,” Makaio observed loudly as he made a show of jumping over a cluster of extension cords. “Do you sleep up there?” He pointed up at the worn red and blue hammock suspended across the backside of the small, crowded space.

“Yup. And no, you can’t have that,” Duo said quickly as he plucked a wad of explosive Semtex putty from Puanani’s hands as she bad begun to mold it into what appeared to be a penguin. Or maybe it was a velociraptor? He quickly darted across the room, stumbled around her older brother Kahili and shoved the wad of putty into the refrigerator.

“This is just old junk,” Makaio said, ever the frank small child. “There are no games.”

“That’s a video game, you dummy,” his older brother snarled as he pointed to the massive, dilapidated arcade machine in the corner. The boy approached the cabinet with interest and let his fingertips trace the coin slot mechanism on the front. “Does this work? Is this the videogame everyone keeps sayin’ is makin’ you lolo?”

Duo sighed. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

Puanani was picking at what little of the original instruction decal that remained around the cracked and faded blue joystick. “It’s old, an’ it’s ugly,” she muttered, clearly unimpressed.

“Hey! Stop it!” Kahili yelled as he slapped his younger sister’s hands away from the machine. “You’re ruining it.”

“It’s already ruined,” Puanani said in a haughty voice. “Look, it doesn’t even work.”

“That’s cuz it isn’t plugged in,” Kahili said smartly as he pointed to the power cord lying on the floor by their feet.

“I don’t want to play it. It looks boring, like a game momma and fadda played back in the olden times,” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t want to play no stupid games.”

Duo fished around in the damp paper bag for a pork bun and bit into it happily as he stood back and watched Kihili defend his admittedly grotesque hunk of junk from his sister. Little Makaio hopped over and shoved his meaty hand into the bag and joined him.

“It’s stupid.”

“Is not! It’s classic, amirite, Duo?” Kahili asked as he peered over his shoulder for affirmation.

“Yep. That’s a classic,” Duo said in a muffled voice through a mouthful of bun. He swallowed hard and coughed. “Sorry to say it isn’t workin’ right now, though.”

“Awww, you said we could play games!’ Makaio whined.

“Nah, I said you could  _ see _ ‘em. Well, there it is.” Duo said with a grin as he gestured to the darkened arcade machine.

“Awwwwwww, mannn.” Makaio deflated and kicked at a bundle of cable by his bare feet. “You makin’ things up and tellin’ stories again. We go!” The little boy scowled up at him before dragging his pouty ass out of the bungalow.

“Lame, lame, lame,” Puanani chanted as she stomped out through the door in pursuit of her younger brother. Kahili hung back just inside the door and cast a curious glance at the arcade machine.

“You ever gonna have it workin’,” he asked curiously.

“Yeah, someday.” Duo smiled.

“Shoots den, Duo,” the boy said as he gave him a little a wave.

“Yeah, okay. Mahalo for the buns, guys,” Duo called after him as he vanished out onto the beach. He secured the door and locked the two deadbolts at the top before he rushed back to his workbench to finish the laser. Finally after another twenty minutes it was ready to install. He slid on a pair of white anti-static gloves and carefully installed the laser housing onto the digitizer power cell and concentrator. He made sure everything was properly connected and ran through his mental checklist he had formulated by months of study and deconstruction of Kevin Flynn’s ENCOM notes and published research papers.   
  
“Okay. This is it,” he said proudly as he took a step back to admire his handiwork. It wasn’t the prettiest thing to look at, but after years of dreaming and months of tedious preparation it was finally done. He had, to his knowledge, successfully completed what he considered the closest thing to the completed, original Tron Arcade Machine. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He peeled off the white gloves and tossed them on the workbench before crouching down to connect its power source. The machine itself required more power than the average arcade game normally consumed and he had spent two weeks building a custom hook-up with a built-in circuit breaker that could accommodate the energy required to boot and run such a sophisticated piece of machinery. Once everything was safely connected he reached over and flipped the red light switch on the wall behind the cabinet to allow power to feed into the machine. He quickly stepped back, excited to watch the blue, glowing grid and title screen flash on the darkened monitor.

Except nothing happened. He blinked, frowned and waited a few moments to give it a chance to change its mind.

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” He stalked up to the red switch and toggled it a few times before he checked the monitor again. It was still black. Nothing had activated.

He felt the heavy, oppressive weight of disappointment and frustration settle in his chest.

_ I should have known better, _ he thought bitterly as he approached the front of the cabinet to scowl down into the blackened monitor.  _ Nothing ever goes my way. Nothing can ever be that fuckin’ easy. _

He knew he was close. He was so close he could almost taste it. He thought that the lens was the last thing he had needed, and he began to chastise himself for getting his hopes up and for being too eager and excited. Maybe he had rushed something? Maybe he was missing a crucial piece?

“Or maybe you really are just a big ‘ol hunk of fuckin’ junk,” he said irritably. He swung his leg back and planted a hard kick against the front fascia of the cabinet with his bare foot, and immediately regretted it. 

“Oww, for fuck’s sake!” He lifted grabbed his now sore big toe and hopped around white muttering choice obscenities, unaware that the monitor within the cabinet had activated.   
  
A few perky 8-BIT notes chimed melodically as the white, blue and red-lined letters “T  R  O  N” illuminated the center of the screen. His head shot up at the sound of the introduction music and before he could say anything else the laser above his head clicked, hummed and then burst to life. Blinding, cyan-colored light shot out of the laser head and captured him within it’s widely flared beam.

He couldn’t move and he couldn’t scream as his body began to break down. Each and every molecule in his body split and transformed into lines of pure digital code. He felt as if he were disintegrating into a fog of pure energy. Soon his vision filled with the same blinding light.

Then it faded to black, and as his eyes came into focus he found himself looking straight at a black and blue glowing blob as it careened straight for him.   
  
“Oh… OH SHIT!” he stammered, stunned, as his body reacted on it’s own. He lunged to his left and just barely stumbled out of the way of whatever odd vehicle almost made him a pancake. He spun around to stare at the spot he had once stood and blinked with confusion as he let his eyes scan upward to study the black, glowing accented skyscraper towers looming just overhead.

It was dark. Everything was black, glossy, sharply geometric and accented with bright white and blue glowing lights.

“W.. where am I?” he muttered as he rubbed his forehead with his hand. He looked from side to side and realized he was standing on a sidewalk in an alien city. No, not aliens. There were people, just like him, walking up and down the sidewalks. They were wearing futuristic looking clothes, and they too seemed to glow with an unnatural, internal radiance.

“Hey, sprite! Move out of the way!” A man who looked like he was wearing a wetsuit with fluorescent yellow accenting shoved past him. Duo stammered but the words wouldn’t come out. He scampered quickly to the wall of the nearest building and pressed his back to it as the strangely dressed people made their way past him. Many paused to study him while others just cast curious glances as they hurried along to their destinations.

“Oh fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh-fuck,” Duo chanted as his confusion began to slowly dissipate. It was quickly replaced with enthusiasm and pure excitement. The laser had digitized him. It had done what he built it to do. He was in. He was in the Tron System. He had finally made it. He straightened his posture, straightened his swim trunks and grinned from ear to ear.

“I’m in the fucking Grid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For progress updates, reference material and related artwork  
> Please follow us at:  
> https://gw-endofline.tumblr.com/


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grid, the legendary Tron System, has always intrigued Duo Maxwell. After years of dreaming and months of tireless work, he finally receives the final part he needs to unlock the door to the digital frontier. A blast of a digitizing laser later he finds himself in the world of his dreams. However, soon that dream becomes a nightmare as he comes to realize that his existence in this new world is both a danger to him and to the programs who reside there. With the help of Security Program Trowa and a mysteriously damaged and glitchy program named Heero, he embarks on a journey through The Grid to seek help from a mysterious entity known as the Gatekeeper. Will he be able to get out of the Tron System, or will the organizations who are hunting him manage to derez him first?

“...Yea, he was just standing there in the middle of the street wearing these bizarre, brightly colored clothes. He must be a User. He clearly isn’t from around here… At least I’ve never seen someone who looks like that before…”

“No lines on his body, either. He didn’t even glow!”

Trowa listened to the frantic, excited conversations going on around him. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his black motor jacket while he rounded the corner and continued to walk down the dimly lit sidewalk. Emerald green eyes scanned the area and darted from face to face as he passed other programs. His lithe body, clad in tight black pants with glowing blue lines that went down the sides and matched the intricate design on his jacket, wove elegantly through the crowd.

“…he was so handsome! Long brown hair tied back in a braid and a grin to die for! If he really is a User, I wonder if they all look like that?”

A User was on the loose in the city, at least that was the current gossip floating around. Not many programs could remember the last time a User had shown up on The Grid. The occurrence was so rare that hardly any programs could claim to have met one. Many thought that they were simply urban legend or part of mythical lore. They were often described as being godlike creatures and according to old stories Users hailed from a world that programs couldn’t even begin to fathom. They were the creators, the controllers, the ones who decided the fate of all who resided in their digital universe. At least that was what groups like BEING preached, and what older programs who still functioned in quiet corners of the cities often lamented.

Trowa knew otherwise. He had seen one. The only time Trowa had witnessed a living, breathing User was many years ago when he had seen Kevin Flynn, the creator of the entire Tron System, and only from afar. He knew that they were real, but their function and origin remained a mystery to him.

If it was true and a User was in fact wandering around Tron City Trowa had to find him fast before the Security Programs did. Judging by the buzz of excitement all around him the User had to be somewhere nearby.

Trowa had never transported a User to the Gate before, but he had helped to traffic many programs out of The Grid. If there _was_ a User here, the likelihood of which was low, he or she would need to leave as soon as possible before they were apprehended by D-FILE, or worse collected by BEING.

D-FILE had become a strong, oppressive force against the programs since the resolution of The Purge. Trowa couldn’t recall much about The Purge, but he knew that the fighting had been intense and that Clu’s Black Guard forces had all but annihilated the entire race of Isomorphic Algorithms, or ISOs. Clu strove to create and maintain a perfect system, and the ISOs, who were spontaneously created from the The Grid itself, were considered forces of chaos. They threatened the perfection of his system and therefore had to be removed. D-FILE was created shortly after The Purge to maintain Clu’s vision and to keep The Grid safe from the recurrence of ISOs and any other non-conforming programs. It also served as subunit of the basic Tron System Security Program Division. They were known to remove anything that could destabilize The Grid, and would derez anyone who opposed their directive.

D-FILE was the official negative governing force, but Trowa was used to dealing with them. They were generally predictable, and they followed their directive. BEING, on the other hand, was a factor that Trowa tried to avoid.

For years the extremist group BEING had been preaching in the streets of the city to anyone who walked past that Users were real and about the ‘God Code’, a supposed single line of code that was what made Users superior to regular programs in The Grid. Supposedly a User could regain and regenerate energy faster than the average program, transfer that energy to other programs and objects, and could withstand more damage. BEING desired that code. They believed that once they obtain the code they can install it into any program to make them as powerful as a User.

Trowa had heard plenty of their preaching in his time stalking the streets of Tron City and could recall a specific program who told stories of the prophetic return of a User who would “seal our doom.” He didn’t buy into any of their crazy, but he knew that if BEING’s followers caught wind of the User they would be actively seeking him or her out. His function was to protect and to bring those who needed protection to the Gate. It was what Elios would want him to do.

“So what’s your name, huh? Wait, lemme guess, are you a personal assistant program? Because I am in _desperate need_ of assistance.”

The loud, sharp crack of a hand slap echoed off of the nearby alley walls as an androgynous white-clad program stomped angrily from around a corner. It pushed past Trowa, fuming, and retreated down the sidewalk.

A peculiar figure stumbled from around the corner with his hand on his cheek and a sheepish grin plastered across his handsome face. “Whew, I guess I deserved that one. That was a pretty shitty line,” he muttered.

Duo was in heaven. Despite some of the rough treatment he had received from a few programs he was on cloud nine. He knew that, like people from his own world, programs varied in personality and ability. They were created by people like himself to perform specific jobs on The Grid. So far he had encountered quite a few programs, though he had yet to find any amicable ones.  
  
He still couldn’t believe that he was finally there, and after asking around he found out that this was Tron City, the heart of the Tron System, AKA The Grid. He was lost, dressed in nothing but his swim trunks and absolutely aimless but he was loving every minute of it.  
  
As he approached his large, violet-colored eyes locked onto a good-looking program with tight black pants and a calculating expression. He dropped his hand from his face and propped both of them on his hips with a grin.

“Hey, pal, do you know where I can get a drink around here?” He couldn’t be sure how long he had been in this digital universe but not once had he seen a food vendor or a bar since his arrival.

“A drink is the least of your needs.” Trowa said sharply, looking the half naked human over and wondering where the hell the rest of his clothes were. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the User. The guy was too animated and expressive to be constructed by the typical type of coding most programs were. He had a strange way of speaking, and a curious hint of an accent he couldn’t define. He stood out like a sore thumb and needed to be dressed appropriately right away.

Trowa slid his jacket off, exposing the well-defined body that hid under a white v-neck tee, and held it out to the User. “Put this on.” He’d have to get the other out of here before he caused a scene and drew more unwanted attention. He reached to the side of his pants and grasped his baton, unlatching it from his belt.

“Step aside.” Trowa waited until the confused User was standing against the alleyway wall before breaking into a jog. With a running leap he pulled the baton in two and gracefully mounted the light cycle that manifested under his form. Trowa steered the illuminated bike back around and pulled up beside the now shocked but extremely excited-looking User. “Get on.”

Duo’s eyes widened and his jaw completely unhinged as he saw what looked like a short stick transform into a wide, shining light cycle. He had read about the vehicles in many of Flynn’s notes and books, but to actually see one stunned him. He shrugged on the program’s jacket, zipped up the front and approached the enormous black and blue pulsating machine.

“Uh… “ he saw the program raise an eyebrow at him as he scooted forward on the seat a fraction to make room for him to sit. “Where are we goin’?”

He didn’t have a clue who this crazy-hot guy was and at first he wasn’t too keen on accepting his help or being told what to do, but the appearance of the bike quickly changed his mind. He scrambled awkwardly up behind the no-name program and squeezed into the back of the seat. He tried to be polite and tip his hips backward away from him, but because of how the rider was required to tilt forward he found himself continuing to slide down into him. Eventually he just gave up and let his crotch plant firmly into the tight ass of this mystery man. _You only live once, right?_ He grabbed the hips in front of him with both hands and yelped as the bike shot off like a rocket.  
  
“Oh fuck!” His arms wrapped tightly around the hard, lithe body in front of him as they raced forward. “W-where are you takin’ me? Who the hell are you?!”

“You wanted a drink, right?” Trowa guided the bike as they sped down the busy street, weaving masterfully in between traffic like it was second nature. He headed in the direction of the marketplace where one of his connections could help outfit the User. “Call me Trowa.”

This Trowa guy was clearly a talented light cycle rider. Duo involuntarily flinched as they came ridiculously close to other light cycles as they careened down the luminescent highways and between the dark, towering skyscrapers.

“I’m Duo,” he shouted over the loud hum of the bike. He decided he’d need more than one drink, if they made it there alive. While it was thrilling to be going so fast Duo felt obligated to have at least an inkling of self-preservation. He clutched tighter to the body in front of him as Trowa banked the bike suddenly to the right, nearly throwing him off balance. “Ugh… my first chance at gettin’ to actually ride one of these damn things and I end up riding bitch,” he grumbled.

Eventually Trowa pulled the light cycle up in front of a massive, dark tunnel that passed beneath a particularly large, looming obsidian tower. He could see the faint mixture of rainbow neon colors glowing deep within the opening. He could also hear the low, indiscernible concert of voices coming from inside. “So, Trowa, you’re a program, right?” That was a dumb question. Of course he was. “Why’re ya helpin’ me out?” Up until now most programs had for the most part ignored him, though a few had been following him around curiously.

“You’re in danger here.” Trowa waited for Duo to dismount before gripping the bike’s handlebars and pushing them together. The motion caused the light cycle to flicker and fade as it quickly transformed back into the baton. Trowa stood up straight, securing it back against his side. He cast a wary glance to their surroundings and saw a few nearby programs watching them with interest. He knew that the longer that they stayed there, the more likely the User’s rumor would spread. He couldn’t let BEING or D-FILE catch wind of his presence. “We should get you properly outfitted. You need clothes and a disc.” He was straightforward with his responses, purposely not going into detail about why he was helping Duo out. “This way…”

The taller program led them into the tunnel and down a dark passageway that would eventually take them to the back of the marketplace, to an area where illicit business was conducted. “Keep quiet and try not to draw any attention to yourself,” Trowa warned as they neared their destination.  

After geeking out about the light cycle and watching the program casually put it away Duo eyed the baton enviously as he fell into step behind the program called Trowa. He shoved his hands into the pockets of the jacket he had given him and frowned at his back as he led him into the darkness of the tunnel.  
  
“I dunno what the big deal is,” he muttered as he followed at his heel. The guy was acting like they were being hunted or something.

 

* * *

  

“Hey, did you hear that a User was seen downtown?”

“User? No way, those don’t exist anymore. Sam Flynn was the last User,” a young program replied as he took up the five green, glowing dice from a white, floating platform table and slid them into a velvety black cup. He began to shake it vigorously as his partner waited impatiently for him to throw them from the opposite side of the table.

“What the hell are they talking about, then? Someone said it digitized right in the middle of the street, no clothes, all crazy-like and almost caused a cycle wreck.”

“I told you, Users don’t exist. I personally think Sam Flynn was a hologram.”

“Shut up, you megabyte moron.”

“If it was a User then those BEING micros were right! They’re always ranting about the ‘third arrival’ or whatever.”

“Don’t tell me you’re buying into BEING now…”

“No, of course not. I’m just saying that IF it is a User, they’ll be looking for it. They’ll tear it apart.”

The clattering sound of the dice as it skittered across the table mixed with more banter and insults from the dice players as they discussed the latest Tron City gossip. Heero leaned against the wall behind them as they played and crossed his bare, glowing cyan-lined arms over the front of his black tank top clad chest and let his dark blue eyes scan the crowded back-alley market. He had been hunting for a particular program for nearly a month and with no success. Now with the new rumors of a User being on The Grid he hoped that his target would show himself.

He ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair and pushed off of the wall irritably. He was weary of this mission. Every day it was the same thing. He came groggily out of hibernation and aimlessly wandered Tron City for any sign of what the underground informants were calling ‘the runner.’

The person that he sought was responsible for transporting programs who wanted to leave The Grid to the Gate; a portal that supposedly led to the mythical outside world of the Users.

Heero had been created for this singular purpose and had been compiled only a month before with an explicit directive from his controllers, D-FILE, to find The Gate and destroy it at all costs. The existence of a portal to the outside world posed not only a security threat to The Grid, but also threatened to cause chaos and disorder among the programs who resided there. He couldn’t allow that to happen. He had to follow his directive. He had to obey D-FILE.

He wove through the heavy crowd of programs aimlessly, his eyes and ears open for any hint or clue that could lead him to ‘the runner.’

“Hold up! You’re sayin’ I gotta get naked first?” An incredulous voice broke out over the din of the crowded black market. Heero paused and narrowed his eyes in the direction of the sound.  
  
“What do you mean I’m a stray? What the hell is a stray?!”

The voice’s source was coming from within a closed, glossy black and neon green tented booth a few yards away. Heero slunk carefully through a group of programs until he was just outside of it, leaned against one of its external support beams and crossed his arms in an attempt to appear as casual as possible while he listened in on the conversation coming from inside.

 

* * *

  

Duo stared down at the scuffed, antique white and blue spiral identity disc a female program in a glossy white, vinyl corset held in front of his face.

“Now strip,” she instructed again, her expression reflected her annoyance with his constant questioning. “What’s the big deal? You’re practically naked already,” she added as she gestured to his ridiculous purple swim shorts.

Duo scoffed. “I’m not naked, these are my baggies. You know, swim trunks? Swimming? Don’t you guys swim around here?” He sighed loudly, and cast a glance at his new pal Trowa who was standing by the flap-like door of the booth with his back turned to him while he studied the passing crowd of the black market.

“Swim?” the female program frowned. He rolled his eyes. He was beginning to realize that life on The Grid was nothing like the island paradise he left behind. He had been so obsessed with getting TO this place that he hadn’t really considered what life on The Grid was actually LIKE. So far he had experienced nothing but rude, apathetic programs who lived in a relatively stagnant, cold and dark world. The only warmth he had felt since his arrival had been a vaguely tepid heat that had emanated through Trowa’s clothes when he had held onto him for their light cycle ride. Other than that he had felt nothing but an empty, hollow chill from everything he touched in this digital world.

He had only been in the system for a short time now but already he longed for the warmth of the sun and for fresh, salty breezes from the ocean.

“Sheesh, fine. Ya better step back. You’re gonna be in for a BIG surprise, miss,” he teased as he yanked his shorts down with a dramatic flourish and kicked them to the side. He propped his hands on his hips and smiled proudly at the pretty program.

She looked down, blinked and then shrugged a shoulder, unimpressed.

“Huh? Seriously? What, are all you programs hung like moose or somethin’?!” Duo grumbled as he watched the female program grab a long, curved rectangular black panel from a nearby table. She approached him from behind and pressed it to his back. As soon as it came in contact with the space in-between his shoulder blades a peculiar tingling sensation spread across his back and chest. He looked down just in time to see a swarm of black pixels race across his skin to coat him with a smooth, leathery body suit. Once it had finished materializing he felt the female click the identity disc to his back. As she did a network of bright white light illuminated his suit and accented his arms, legs and torso.

“There, now everything you do will be recorded again,” she explained. “Strange that this stray friend of yours doesn’t have luminous lines on his skin, huh,” she mentioned over her shoulder to Trowa while Duo inspected his new suit.

“Man, this shit is tight,” the braided User complained as he tried to tug the snug fabric away from his crotch. “Good thing it isn’t hot here like it is back on the beach, otherwise I’d have the worst crotch sweat while wearin’ this damn thing…”

“Sweat?” the female program asked. She hadn’t heard of ‘sweat’ before. She sighed and approached Trowa from behind. “You’re always bringing me the strangest programs,” she said with a smile. She looped an arm through the tall, handsome program’s arm and forced him to turn around to face her. “So, how are you going to pay me this time? Even though that was a first generation disc, those things still don’t run cheap.”

“I have credits. Unless you want something else?” Trowa’s defined left eyebrow rose as he gave Celeste a curious look. She was running her delicate fingers up and down his bicep, a suggestive expression on her soft features. “No. Not that.” He knew exactly what she was hinting at. Celeste did this almost every time he asked her for a favor.

“Okay fine. I get it. You must have a really gorgeous program waiting for you back at home.” She reluctantly let go of his arm and put her hands on her hips while she awaited payment.

Trowa reached behind his back and grasped his disc. He handled it carefully, making certain not to apply any unnecessary pressure to the hairline crack that traced down the center. He brought it to the front of his body and flipped it on its side so that a blue web of data could project into the air above. He used his fingers to move the data around and access his credit account. “Is this enough?”

“More than enough!” Celeste looked down at the figure that was currently transferring into her account. “Trowa! You don’t have to give me that much.”

“Consider it a bonus for all the help you’ve given me.” Trowa let the transfer finish before exiting out of his account and returning the disc to his back. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Celeste replied. She cast her gaze to Trowa’s new friend who was still squirming and pulling at his new light suit. _He’s going to have his hands full with that one_ , she thought with a smirk.

 

* * *

 

Heero chewed his lower lip as he eavesdropped on the conversation happening only a few feet away within the tent. The idea of someone paying someone else for ‘favors’ here in the dark underbelly of the city wasn’t anything too terribly nefarious. It certainly wasn’t a direct clue to the location of his target but the exchange within the tent continued to draw his attention. He felt a strange, foreign sensation metastasize in the center of his chest. It felt as if a dense ball of lead had formed there. He dropped his arms from his chest and rubbed at the shallow indentation above his sternum through his black shirt. He suddenly felt uncomfortable and anxious. He had never felt this way before, and he had no idea what prompted it.

“Well, it was nice meetin’ you miss,” the cheery voice said from inside the tent.

“Yes, take care of yourselves,” the female voice replied. “I heard that the Security Programs are amping up their forces all over the city. They’ve started blocking off all of the bridges out to Argon and Arjia City,” she added.

Heero tensed. He heard the shifting of fabric as the flap at the front of the tented booth opened. He waited a few seconds before he leaned forward to peer around the corner. He spotted two figures as they moved away from the tent and began to mix into the crowd. A short, light suit-clad program with an antique identity disc and a long coil of braided hair loped casually beside a taller, slim black-clad figure. They were retreating quickly through the mass of black market shoppers in the direction of the entertainment district. He peeled away from his hiding spot beside the tent to follow them.

 

* * *

 

Trowa’s initial plan was to get Duo out of the city as soon as possible. The longer they stayed the more danger the User was in, and he couldn’t let the Security Programs or BEING find him. After making their way through the busy marketplace it became obvious that Trowa would have to modify their plan, much to his chagrin. Apparently security was stationed at all exits of the city, monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic, in search of any suspicious activity or solid proof that there was a User on the grid.

Duo was persistent about getting a drink and wasn’t acting like he was in any sort of danger. Trowa eventually gave in and agreed to take him to one of the bars if the other promised to stay quiet and stay out of trouble.

“Holy shit, this is really it? The End Of Line Club,” Duo read the name from the front marquee aloud as they neared. “I can’t believe it.”  
  
To say that he was nerding out was an understatement. If Duo had a bucket list of places he wanted to visit in The Grid the End Of Line Club was definitely the top of the list. He had read that it was the epicenter of Tron City entertainment and one of Kevin Flynn’s favorite hangouts.  As they entered the bar he took in the clean, modern lines of the rectangular room in awe. The glowing white floors illuminated the white and black outfits of the bar’s patrons as they mingled, laughed and drank multicolored cocktails from elaborate, geometric glasses.  
  
“This shit is amazing,” Duo muttered as he spun around a few times to survey the entire room. He rushed up to the bar and wedged himself happily between two older programs who gave him curious looks. One tilted his head back to eye Duo’s old disc.

“Hey, what does a guy gotta do to get a drink around here,” he said loudly to get the attention of the program behind the bar. He smiled to the two programs on either side of him as he waited.  
  
“What are you having?” An impatient female voice asked from the opposite side of the gleaming bar. Duo found himself staring into the face of a scowling, seemingly irritated female program.  
  
“What’s good?” Duo asked with a grin. He watched as the pretty program scrunched her nose at him and sighed.  
  
“Everything’s good,” she said plainly.  “You going to order something or what?”

“I… uh... “ he said, blinked and tore his eyes away for a moment to check for his new friend Trowa. He peered around the program to his right and saw that the tall, calm program had taken a seat on one of the low, black built-in couches that flanked the dance floor near the center of the bar. The guy already had a drink in his hand. Why didn’t HE have a drink yet? He turned back around and faced the bartender program once more. “Something strong and sweet, just like you…”

The program scowled, rolled her annoyed, glowing eyes and wandered off. Duo deflated slightly as she left. The male program to his right chuckled. “You’re not so great at the game, are you?”  
  
Duo rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. “You programs are confusin’ as hell.”

“What do you mean by ‘you programs’?” the program seated to his right echoed his words and gave him a hard stare.  
  
“Urm, what I meant to say was, ‘lady programs’. They’re a mystery to me,” Duo recovered, awkwardly. Man he couldn’t wait for that drink. Eventually the female returned and slid him a tall, twisted flute filled with a flickering pale blue opaque liquid. He took it quickly in hand and tried to hop up from the barstool but was stopped by a chilled, hard hand against his wrist.  
  
“Wait a second. You’re not dipping out. Are you going to pay or what?” the female program asked in a rough, accusatory voice.

Duo winced and tilted his head in the direction of his friend on the couch. “I’m with him.”  
  
The bartender looked past Duo to his companion and locked eyes with Trowa. Instantly she released his wrist and quickly walked away.

“Okay. That was weird as fuck,” he mumbled as he picked his way over to Trowa and flopped down onto the couch beside him. “You know that chick or somethin’?”

Duo was beginning to realize that this guy was someone important somehow. He seemed to have connections all over the city, and the reaction from the female program just now was a little disconcerting. He tipped his drink into his mouth. Once the blue liquid came in contact with his tongue he felt a peculiar tingling sensation fill his mouth and gradually slide down his throat. He coughed and bit down on his now electrified tongue with his molars.  
  
“What the heck?” he raised his glass to the level of his eyes and peered into the liquid. Duo could see small, faint arcs of electricity zapping around inside. “Is this liquid energy? Like a plasma or something?” He felt suddenly rejuvenated, as if he had taken a shot of adrenaline mixed with four shots of espresso. “Holy shit.”

“You could say that.” Outward signs of amusement started to show on Trowa’s facial features as he watched Duo bring the glass up to his lips for a second, much more cautious sip. “And no, I don’t know ‘that chick’ personally. Although I’ve seen her around.” He draped his arm over the top of the couch and shifted his position so he could face the User. The index finger on his other hand tapped ideally on the top of his thigh while he studied Duo closely. “You look and act nothing like Flynn.” Trowa stated dryly.

“Huh? Really?” Duo was surprised at Trowa’s sudden statement. “Why do you say that?” Duo idolized both Kevin and his son Sam Flynn and he considered the comparison a compliment.

“The physical differences are obvious.” Years ago when Trowa had viewed Flynn from afar, the User looked much older than Duo appeared to be now. “You are louder, not as smart, and have failed every attempt at flirting with a program.” These were the observations Trowa had made during his short friendship with Duo. “But you are more attractive than Flynn was…” He shrugged at the last statement.

Duo choked on his drink as Trowa outlined his observations of him. After a short coughing fit he rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. “Heh… thanks, I think…” he smiled broadly and chugged the rest of his drink. He felt a shockwave of rejuvenating electricity jolt through his body. He shuddered and reveled in the sensation of being fully energized.

“So, where are ya from, Trowa?” Duo asked as he eyed the crowd for someone who could hook him up with another one of those sweet, magic elixirs. “You seem kinda out of place here, too. You’re the only guy who has tried to help me since I got here.”

“I’m from another city. Not terribly close to here.” Trowa answered vaguely, unwilling to go into detail while in a public space. You never knew who was listening. He wanted to explain that the reason he was the only program trying to help Duo out was because he was one of the few who knew how to leave the grid. He removed his arm from the back of the couch and leaned forward so he was closer to Duo’s face. “You do realize that Users don’t visit the system very often. Have you thought about why you being here might be considered dangerous?”

“Well, no actually. I haven’t,” Duo admitted with a frown. He hadn’t thought of any of those things. Trowa’s words made him feel uncomfortable and for the first time he became painfully aware of all of the eyes in the room studying him. He bit his lip and shifted in his seat before he started to bounce a knee anxiously. “I mean, I know you guys have been kinda cut off. Where I’m from they don’t believe this place is even real. I guess I never thought that because of that there haven’t been any people here. Ur, I mean ‘Users’ like me. So like, what do you mean exactly? You think someone’s gonna try to kill me? Can I even die in here?”

“If you’re not careful, you could end up in the wrong hands.” Trowa crossed his arms over his chest while he spoke softly so only Duo could hear. He looked out at the crowd of patrons paying a visit to the bar. The music was getting louder, attempting to drown out the growing chatter as the place filled with programs looking to unwind after a long workweek. “There are groups here who’d love to get their hands on a User. And they won’t be gentle. Which is why we need to get you out as soon as we can… I know how to return you to the reality from which you came.”

“Woah, really?” Duo hadn’t considered leaving yet, he had only just arrived. However, at the mention of his life being in danger - violently in danger - he felt a sudden urgency to get out of there. “Wait a minute. I mean, I’m grateful that you’re helpin’ me and all, but how do I know you aren’t the one tryin’ to… ya know, delete me or whatever you guys call it.” _Deframe? Debunk? Defrag? What was that phrase again?_

“Derez.” Trowa finished the other’s sentence, his voice smooth like velvet. His eyes returned to the User, studying him once again. Duo was asking a legitimate question. Why should he trust the mysterious program that suddenly showed up and offered to help? If his motive had been to derez Duo, it would have been done by now, and he wouldn’t be taking the other out for drinks. “What other options do you have?” Green eyes narrowed seriously as the question slipped through his cool lips.

Duo blinked. He didn’t know what to say. “I mean, yeah. I guess you’re right. I dunno, though. You don’t look like the ‘take ya into a back alley and murder you’ kind of guy, but then again the real crazy maniacs don’t, right?” he rambled. Trowa’s apathetic expression silenced him. A long, awkward silence passed between them before Duo broke it with a question, “so where is this place you’re takin’ me? When are we leavin’?”

 

* * *

  

Heero lifted his drink from the bar and took a long sip from its glimmering, neon green contents as he watched the slender program and his unusual companion speaking on the couch across the crowded room. The lights in the club began to shift and dim with the music as the dance floor started to fill with bar patrons. There was no way in this environment that he was going to be able to overhear anything being said between them even if he did manage to get closer.  
  
He gulped down the remainder of his drink and set the glass back on the bar for the bartender to take it. She narrowed her eyes at him and then glanced at the two on the couch before abruptly turning her back to him and walking away. Heero sighed and tore his eyes away from the unusual pair, worried that the bartender had noticed he was studying them.  
  
_Shit_ , he thought with a scowl. _I need to figure out who that guy is…_  
  
He turned his head slightly and tried to watch them through his peripheral vision. There was something familiar about the taller program. The way he lifted his drink to his mouth, and the occasional shift of an eyebrow and downward curve of his mouth were borderline captivating.  
  
“What the hell is wrong with me… “ he grumbled as he waved the bartender down for another drink. It felt as if the energy shots did little to nothing for him anymore, and he was starting to wonder whether he was developing a resistance to their rejuvenating effects. He ran a hand through his hair and gave a tired sigh.

 _The rumor is that there is a User on The Grid. If that program with the braid is actually the User, then that program with him may be ‘the runner,’_ he reasoned. _I just have to find a way to verify who he is before I can act._

 

* * *

 

“I can’t tell you exactly where we are going. The location is protected. But you should know it’s far outside this city and will take several days to reach.” The hairs at the back of Trowa’s neck suddenly stood at attention as the sensation of being watched washed over him. He jerked his eyes away from Duo and started to scan the room for the source of his apprehension. “We can’t leave until security opens up the cities exits. Until then, we have to lay low…”

Trowa’s gaze eventually landed on the bar area where a good-looking, dark haired program was currently sitting. Their eyes locked and Trowa froze for a few seconds, feeling foreign jolts of electricity course through his body. It took all his strength to look away, biting the inside of his lip anxiously as he did so. How long had that guy been watching? What did he want, and what the hell was this strange feeling overtaking his senses? Trowa shook his head and looked down at his lap. “We should head out soon.”

Trowa’s vision of the dark haired program was suddenly blocked by hips clad in a tight, black mini skirt.  
  
“I see empty glasses, which means you two handsome fellas need some topping off!” Their empty glasses were snatched quickly out of their hands to be replaced by new, full ones. Duo followed the lines of the fit body in front of him upward until he found himself staring into the face of a gorgeous female program with short, dark hair and bright green eyes.  
  
“Hey, thanks,” he said easily as he took in the lovely figure in front of him. All of his previous worry about death and escape was replaced by wonder and interest. “Miss?”  
  
“Hilde. You can call me Hilde,” she said with a grin as she balanced a tray of empty glasses on an upturned hand.  
  
“Hilde, huh?” Duo was grinning from ear to ear. Finally a program who wasn’t snappy or short with him. “I’m Duo, and this is…”  
  
“Trowa,” Hilde finished for him. She gave Trowa a wink. “I know him. He comes in here quite a bit on the weekends. Cute friend you’ve got here,” she gestured to Duo with her tray and laughed.

“He is cute, isn’t he?” Trowa teased flatly while he took the offered drink from Hilde. He brought the fluorescent purple concoction to his lips and took a long gulp, still able to feel eyes on him. Trowa mentally cursed the endearing girl standing in his way, blocking the view of the bar. With another long gulp the drink was gone and Trowa handed the empty glass back to Hilde. “Thank you…”

“You must not be from around here. I haven’t seen you before.” Hilde balanced the empty glass on her tray and gave Duo her full attention. The new program had the loveliest pair of violet-blue eyes and she found the flush of his cheeks charming.

“Yeah, well, I’m from out of town,” Duo said casually. He had forgotten about the drink in his hand, too distracted by the pretty program in front of him. He handed his second untouched drink off to Trowa, roughly shoving it into his hands before he stood up from the couch with a smile. “Here, let me help you with that, Hilde,” he said as he took the full tray from her.  
  
“Well, this is a first,” she admitted with a chuckle. Duo had worked in plenty of pizza joints back on the island and he was pretty decent at tray balancing. He propped it up on a hand and held his arm out to her with a smile. “Show me where to carry this heavy thing, huh?”

 

* * *

  
  
Heero watched as the strange program stood up and hooked arms with the server. They were headed his way. He turned his attention down to his drink as they passed.  
  
“It must be fun workin’ in a place like this, right?” the unusual braided program asked as he passed. He couldn’t make out what the server said in reply. He waited until they had passed and rounded the corner of the bar before sitting up in his stool again. He carefully looked over his shoulder to check and see if the taller program was still on the couch and as he did he found himself staring back into a pair of intense emerald green eyes. Heero tensed and for a long moment held the other program’s gaze. He had been caught, and there was nothing left to do but approach and try to verify. He grabbed his drink from the bar, slid off of the stool and made his way to the couch, his eyes never leaving the other’s as he did.  
  
“This seat taken?” he asked as he gestured to the empty space where the strange unit had been sitting.

“Not currently.” Trowa pulled his gaze away from the attractive stranger long enough to set Duo’s discarded drink on the table in front of the couch. “Why have you been staring at me all night?” He asked bluntly, but not unfriendly.

Heero hadn’t expected the other program to confront him. He sat down, cradled his drink in both hands and stared at him through widened, prussian blue eyes for a suspended moment while his thoughts attempted to process and catch up. He felt overloaded and exhausted. He blinked slowly before replying, “you’re captivating.” Which was the only response he could think to say, and one which was entirely true. “Do… do….. I make you uncomfortable?”  
  
He flinched at his own laggy response and silently cursed before forcing more of his drink down his throat. His delayed response and stutter was beginning to worsen over time. He needed to reset. A typical program reset their memory during their hibernation period, but ever since Heero’s compilation he had yet to experience a true reset. He hadn’t noticed his memory banks were becoming overloaded until a week before when he began to involuntarily stutter. He had reported his anomaly to D-FILE, who had yet to give him a solution. In the meantime he had to live with its effects and hope that it wouldn't keep him from accomplishing his directive.

“No.” Trowa peeked through his hair and caught the other program’s eyes again. “I’m not captivating. I’m just an ordinary program. No need to stare.” He was used to being hit on at the bar, used to deflecting the comments that came his way. But there was something about this program’s voice that did indescribable things to his body. Trowa felt his digital pulse quicken, felt a tingling sensation crawl along his limbs. He had to look away again. The other's presence was familiar yet alien at the same time. He furrowed his brows and folded his arms across his chest, posture stiff and on guard.

Heero could feel the other program’s tension and see through his body language that he was indeed uncomfortable. The denial about being the alluring creation that he was was a surprise, but Heero wasn’t one to argue the point. It wasn’t why he had approached him, anyway.  
  
“To be honest, I have been wanting to talk to you,” he said slowly, his eyes narrowing as he studied the side of the other program’s face. “I wonder if you can help… help… help me with something.”

The lag in the stranger’s voice did not go unnoticed, and for the briefest second Trowa felt concerned. The other needed to reset. He turned to face him again. “What makes you think I can help you? Or that I’d even want to?” The other had been meaning to talk to him. So was he following him? And where did Duo go? Trowa didn’t want him wandering off very far...

“I’ve been lost,” Heero said plainly, though his eyes were suddenly intense. He tried to gather his thoughts and straighten them out before he spoke again. He knew that this was the moment he would need to win over this stranger if he was in fact ‘the runner’ he had heard about. He would need to get this right.  
  
“I need to report to Elios,” Heero said firmly. “I …. I’m a guard of Aether.”

Trowa frowned as that sacred name was vocalized. How did this program know about Elios and the Aether Guards? “I don’t know what you are talking about.” He lied, still suspicious of the other. “I’m sorry. I'm the wrong guy.” He unfolded his arms and started to get up from the couch.

Aether was one of Trowa’s guarded secrets, along with the true identity of its leader, the Gatekeeper Elios. Trowa was a member of Aether, the elite guard to the Gatekeeper, and had sworn an oath to protect its leader and the lives of his fellow guards. He wasn’t willing to give up any information about Aether so easily.   
  
Heero stiffened as the other program moved to stand. He knew that if he didn’t stop him from leaving he would never know for sure if this was his target or not. He decided to just go out on a limb and pull out all of the stops. The worst that could happen at this point was he would get punched in the face and the guy would run off.

He willed his body to move as fast as it could and despite his laggy reflexes he managed to make contact with the other program. His hand shot out to grab the retreating program’s wrist and held it firmly. As his palm came in contact with his wrist he felt a pulsating in his hand and suddenly what could only be described as a ball of energy shot through his hand and up his arm. As it did the cyan blue lines on his arms that had formerly been dull and barely visible flickered and brightened and for a split second Heero had a moment of shocking clarity.

“Please don’t,” he said in a clear, quick voice. The sensation dissipated and soon his previous fog settled over his mind. “That program…  he is a User, right?” He made no move to release the other program’s wrist, and found himself staring deeply into surprised eyes.

Trowa also felt the quick burst of energy upon contact. The remnants still swam through his system, giving it an extra boost. He straightened his back, looking down at the other with pure shock and confusion. “…He’s not. Users don’t exist.”

He was unable to pull his wrist away, unable to look anywhere else but at those prussian blue eyes. They were hypnotizing him, drawing him deeper into their depths. “Who are you?” The question spilt from his mouth and hung in the air between them.

“My name is Heero,” he replied softly, his voice barely audible over the throb of the music. His blink was slow and his face expressed his confusion at what had just transpired. He forced his eyes to break their locked gaze and turned them down to study his hand clasped tightly on the other program’s wrist. “I’m sorry. I just need to get back to the guard. I’ve been wandering for years,” he lied. “I heard that you could help me to get back. I’ve been looking for someone they call ‘the runner.’”

Heero was feeling confident that this program was who he had been seeking for nearly a month. He had noticed his defensive behavior, as well as his expression at the mention of the keeper of The Gate, Elios. He knew he was onto something here, but he was confused about the strange reactions he was having while interacting with him. Heero had never felt anything like what had just shot through his arm before in his short existence. He hesitated before releasing the tall program’s slender wrist and gave him an apologetic look.

“I’m … “ Heero’s mind stuttered and lagged. He grit his teeth and forced himself through it. “I’m sorry. You must be… right… and I have m-mistaken you for someone else.” He let his eyes drift up the black, leather-clad body to meet the program’s eyes again and held his gaze while attempting to look as sincere as possible.

Heero was not mistaken. Trowa was ‘the runner’, but he didn’t trust the mysterious program, at least not yet. “If you were a guard then you’d know how to get back. Why are you lost?” He was familiar with most of the Aether Guards and Heero’s face wasn’t registering. It was the perfect balance of soft and hard features. The program had a determined jaw, a serious mouth with delicate lips, a thin straight nose, and long lashes that framed reflective, turbulent eyes. Trowa would definitely recognize that face had he seen it before.

The longer he studied Heero’s face, memorizing every line and detail, the more the tight knot in his stomach grew. Anxiety nagged at his mind, telling him something wasn’t right with this situation. Trowa decided to stay put, unable to walk away from the pleading expression that stared hopelessly up at him. “What has happened to you? Why haven’t you reset yourself?”

D-FILE had provided Heero with an entire cover-up story, but he knew that in this situation he was going to have to improvise. The fact the other program had stopped and was questioning him was a good indicator that had found his target.  
  
“I was taken by the enemy during The Great Purge,” he recited his provided backstory confidently. “I was damaged in the fight. I… I….I lost some of my memories from the damage. I was deactivated for a while until an Outlander scraper found me and revived me. I have been trying… t-trying to find a way back ever since. I tried going back to Arjian City to find them. I had no idea that the city was destroyed.” He ran his hand through his hair and tried to appear as calm and collected as he could. He was surprised at how difficult that was under the analytical gaze of his target program. Heero hadn’t expected to have such a strong reaction to him, and it bothered him. He would have to include his physical reactions in his report when he checked in.  
  
The question about his reset surprised him. He didn’t have a real answer for it, and when he had last reported his situation to D-FILE they had no answers to give him. Normal programs reset automatically when they went into their daily hibernation period. Heero was aware of this fact, it was common knowledge. The fact that he couldn’t reset was problematic. Useless information that should have been wiped clean every hibernation was collecting in his memory and forcing him to become laggy and slow to respond. Not only was it frustrating it was also embarrassing, and he often worried that it would impede him from fulfilling his directive.

“I am in-incapable of resetting myself,” he explained honestly. “I don’t know why.” He shifted uncomfortably at the question and nervously wiped the corner of his lower lip with a thumb. He looked down at the floor and avoided the other program’s gaze, feeling suddenly self-conscious, and silently cursed himself for it.

If Heero was taken by the enemy then there was no telling what they’d done to him. That coupled with the fact that Trowa hadn’t seen this ‘guard’ before made him extremely wary. He didn’t trust Heero, but knew that if he left the program here, unable to reset on his own, Heero would eventually glitch so bad that he’d burn out. And then it was game over. Trowa knew deep down that Elios would want to help this lost program, regardless of the uncertainty.

Trowa was still reluctant to confirm or give any information to Heero. “I know the Runner. I’ll see if he can help you. But he doesn’t live in Tron City.” They needed to leave this area soon.

Heero raised an eyebrow at the mention of The Runner and set his glass down on the table in front of him. “Thank you. I will try not be a… a burden.”  
  
A raucous laugh burst through the throbbing music and the strange, braided program emerged from the darkened back of the bar. He was staggering and grinning widely through the crowd in their direction.  
  
“YO! Trowa!” he yelled loudly, “there you are!” He flopped down onto the couch beside Heero and grabbed the drink he had left behind and began to chug it. He shuddered as the energy from the cocktail invigorated him. “Man, you programs are somethin’ else.” He tried to smooth his bangs with his free hand. Static electricity had gathered in his hair, which made the dark strands float around his face. “Looks like you’ve been busy too, huh?” he said as he gestured to Heero.  
  
Heero frowned at him. Now that he could get a closer look at what was supposedly a former stray program he could see that there was something unusually vivacious about him. “It’s n… no… not like that…” he tried to say. The unusual program smirked and chuckled.  
  
“What’s wrong with you, huh? Got a stutter or somethin’? Heh, maybe you need a defrag,” Duo said as he put his now empty glass on the table. “Whew, I tell you what, you guys may just be programs but you give regular girls a run for their money, man.”  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes at him. _He is a User,_ he confirmed.

 _Great. So much for staying under the radar._ Trowa frowned, wondering how many programs heard the lewd comment that spewed from the User’s mouth. “Lower your voice.” He clenched his teeth and resisted the urge to step on Duo’s foot in hopes of shutting him up. That cat was out of the bag. Trowa knew Heero was already suspicious of Duo and now his suspicion was confirmed.

“We need to head out. I think you’ve had enough drinks.” Trowa was now escorting two bodies to Elios, one of which was still a shady character in his mind. Usually he only needed to escort one wayward program at a time, so this new assignment was going to be a challenge. Not that he minded. Trowa always rose to the challenge. “Get up, let's go.”  

“What? Ugh,” Duo grumbled incoherently as he pushed himself up to a stand. He noticed the program’s annoyance with him. He had been so excited he had forgotten he was supposed to be hiding out. He eyed the second, stuttery program as he stood up as well. “Wait a min, who is this guy? He’s comin’ too?”  
  
“Yes,” Heero replied coldly in response. Duo blinked and fell into step behind Trowa who was working his way through the crowd in the direction of the exit.  
  
They were only a couple of yards away from the front of the bar when a sharp, frantic yell sounded through the music. The flood of programs on the dance floor shifted and began to swell in their direction as terrified faces rushed away from the source of the loud, crackling sound of electricity. Trowa stopped short and Duo bumped into his back before backpedaling into Heero, who stood firm despite the User’s body slamming hard into him.  
  
“What the-” Duo didn’t get a chance to finish his statement. A glowing purple light sword materialized in Trowa’s hand and the glitchy guy behind him sidestepped from behind him with his brightly illuminated blue and black identity disc in hand.  
  
“Move, User,” Heero said slowly. He didn’t have to repeat himself, the quirky User ducked out of the way and gawked at them.  
  
“Hand him over, and MAYBE we won’t derez you pieces of bit,” a harsh, nasal voice called from the entrance. Five male figures in black and luminous green light suits strode into the bar side-by-side. Three had identity discs clutched menacingly in their hands while the other two held long, glowing baton staffs aloft and ready to attack.  
  
Heero stepped forward and twisted his body to the right so that his radiant disc was held in front of his face by his right hand and pointed at the closest opponent with a staff. His right foot was extended forward and his rear leg flexed, the center of his gravity tilted back onto his left leg, prepared to spring forward. “I… I’ve got the baton staffs,” he said in a low, cool voice to the program to his left.

It was no surprise BEING had caught up with Duo, although Trowa had hoped it would take them a little more time to find the User. He quickly sized up the punks in the green light suits, deciding they probably weren’t much of a threat. He gave Heero a curt nod and took a step to the side, swirling the hilt of his baton sword between his long fingers. Trowa eyed the punk with the mohawk and sunglasses on, deciding he looked like the leader of the small group. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The leader snarled and raised his ID disc as he charged across the club, closing the distance between them. When he was about 10 feet away, he flicked his wrist and sent the weapon flying through the air, aimed right for Trowa’s head. The purple beam emitting from Trowa’s baton made contact with it as he swung his sword, easily blocking the attack. The disc flew towards the glass walls of the club before quickly boomeranging back to the leaders grasp.

Heero sprung off of his left leg and ran at the baton wielders. Despite his lagging he was still relatively nimble. As he neared them he didn’t bother to slow down. Instead, he threw his body forward with his right leg still extended and dropped down to slide like a runner stealing a base against the ground between the two of the programs armed with staffs. They were standing in readied stances, prepared to attack and appeared stunned as Heero vanished beneath them. He gouged the one to his right across his knees as he passed through. The BEING program screamed as he became separated from his calves and fell to the ground on his hands, writhing in agony as he kicked around his now pixelated stumps.  
  
The second staff-armed BEING member spun around and tracked Heero as he glided past. Heero hopped quickly to his feet and blocked a vertical attack from his opponent with the bladed edge of his ID disc. It hummed as it became caught against the bright, green shimmering cylinder of energy. He swung his body around to plant a kick to his opponent’s chest. The BEING program stumbled backward, regained his balance and lunged at him again with his staff aimed at Heero’s abdomen. Heero moved to block the attack with his disc but his movement became staggered. His arm twitched and shook for half a second before resuming its sweep at the incoming blow. The lost fraction of a second was just long enough to cause his block to miss. He took the staff blow to the gut and was thrown off of his feet. He landed hard on his back but luckily he hadn’t lost his grip on his disc.  
  
The BEING member ran at him and swung his staff for a strike at his head. Heero rolled out of the way and tried to stand up, but instead glitched and fell to his knees.  
  
Duo stared in awe from the sidelines as his new companions battled these weird, cyberpunk looking dickheads. He saw Trowa effortlessly dancing among his attackers, swiping and stabbing at them with a warrior’s grace while the weird, short guy made a daring low attack but was soon getting his ass handed to him. He frowned. He couldn’t just STAND there. He groped around on his back for his antique blue and white disc. He hefted it in his hand for a moment, scowled and ran at the guy with the staff pummeling the glitchy program who seemed to have been rendered helpless on his knees.

Trowa brought his sword down on the leader’s shoulder when the other neglected to parry his move, slicing through him in one quick motion. The program screamed in pain before his body burst into pixelated pieces, which loosened and fell haphazardly to the ground. Trowa didn’t get any time to recover from the match, his attention immediately drawn to the braided human who had attached himself to the back of one of the BEING members, ramming the vintage disc against the program's head. Trowa rushed over and ran his sword through the program’s side, derezzing him within seconds. He watched Duo fall to the ground with an ungraceful thud.

“Are you ok?” Trowa directed the question towards Heero, noticing the glitchy program was kneeling on the ground in pain. He reached out and offered his hand, completely ignoring the groaning User to his left.

The remaining two disc wielders were livid. They were short their leader and two comrades, the loss of which spurred them to action. Heero blinked and forced himself to look up at his target program, who he had learned was named ‘Trowa’ by the careless User, and saw the extended hand. The sound of the two incoming enemies caught his attention. He didn’t think twice before he grabbed the offered right hand with his own, jumped to his feet and used his companion program’s arm for support. He wound his arm back and with a grunt he threw it as hard as he could at the foremost of the two incoming enemies. The BEING program deflected it with his own disc and sent Heero’s flying back at them.

Heero felt Trowa’s hand clench against his own and, as if the gesture were a signal, he released the taller program’s hand and ducked. Trowa’s arm swung past his head to strike the incoming disc with his sword. A spark of purple energy arced off of Heero’s disc as Trowa sent it flying back at the incoming BEING program who had deflected it. Heero bolted and ran after his flying disc. The BEING program, surprised at Heero’s sudden advance, hesitated. He was struck in the neck and derezzed into a rain of black pixels. Heero caught his disc as it bounced off of the far wall and ran at the remaining BEING enemy.  
  
The black and green program swung his disc at Heero, who caught it with his own and deflected it. Irate and fueled by the loss of his friends, the final enemy slammed and swung his own disc at Heero with loud, angry screams.  
  
“You null-units! Don’t you understand? The User has the key! You can transcend! Don’t you want to be something more?!” The BEING program locked discs with Heero, who snarled  at him and tried to push him off but glitched. Before the enemy could take advantage of his moment of weakness a purple blade shot out from the center of the BEING program’s chest and with a strangled, startled cry he vanished. Heero found himself staring into the beautiful, stoic face of his target program.  
  
“What the actual fuck,” Duo mumbled as he watched the last bad guy vanish. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. Trowa and the glitchy guy were standing face to face, just staring at each other. Neither one of them moving. “Uh… guys? Maybe we should get the fuck out of here, huh?” he said as he got up and fumbled with his disc, trying to reattach it to his back.

Trowa nodded but continued to hold Heero’s gaze for a few more moments. How had they managed to perfectly sync their moves? It all felt so natural. And why was Heero giving him that look? _Dammit, what is it about him?_ His lips parted as if to speak, but nothing came out, so Trowa continued to stare in awe. He flicked the purple saber off and reattached the baton to his belt.

“Guys!” Duo was getting impatient. Patrons in the club were starting to crowd around again now that the fight was over. The noise level in the room rose as people speculated about what had just transpired.

Trowa finally snapped out of his trance. “Yes, let’s go.” He made sure Heero was able to function himself before leading their group towards the club exit.

Heero clutched his whirring identity disc tightly in hand and found himself feeling relieved that the other program broke their locked, intense mutual stare first. He couldn’t even begin to explain the tension that had manifested between them in that final moment, but it made him uncomfortable. He watched his target quickly make his way out of the bar, followed closely by the User, who cast a confused look at Heero before vanishing out the door. He frowned, deactivated his disc, slung it against his back and followed them. _This is going to be more difficult than I had anticipated_ , he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For progress updates, reference material and related artwork  
> Please follow us at:  
> https://gw-endofline.tumblr.com/


	3. Chapter 3

“It seems that you’re popular around here,” Heero said slowly as he peered through the darkness at the massive bridge in front of them. Harsh, red lights flashed and winked from the thick barricade that had been erected in the center by the Tron City Security Programs, assisted by the Tron System’s notorious Black Guard. Heero could also make out the faint outline of two distinctive D-FILE light tanks parked in the center of the thick, seemingly impenetrable wall.  
  
“I don’t understand,” Duo muttered from his crouched position beside Heero. They had taken up the high ground of a nearby cliff just outside of the city proper. Tron City had been built on a slight plateau in the center of a massive, circular canyon. The only way out of the city was over three bridges. One led to Arjia City, another to the Gaming Grid, and the third led to Argon City. Duo toyed with the end of his long braid nervously. “Why is everyone tryin’ to kill me? They don’t treat all Users like this, do they?”

“You’re only the third User to appear on the grid. The last time one showed up chaos ensued,” Trowa explained. That had been seven years ago. He looked out at the cloudless, dark sky. A gentle breeze brushed his bangs against his cheek. He reached up to move his hair out of the way. “Ground transportation is blocked, but we could leave the city by air.” They would need access to a three-person light jet, not the smaller sized ones an individual could generate from a personal baton.

“Tsch, you’d think that if I was so rare and special I would be gettin’ the VIP treatment, but nooooo. They wanna kill me!” Duo blurted irritably.

“Derez you,” Heero corrected him casually before he turned to address Trowa. “I know where we can get a permanent construct jet for three people. We’ll need to go to the Tron City Security Division motor pool and airfield. I have an idea.” He could see the skepticism in the taller program’s face. He watched as Trowa shifted his weight and crossed his arms tightly over his chest as he considered his proposal.  
  
Trowa was having trouble believing that an amnesiac ex-guard could steal a jet from the Tron City Security Division, but with only two batons and three people, they were out of options. They needed the larger jet if they had any hopes of escaping together. It was also clear that the city security programs weren’t planning on removing the blockades to any of the city’s exits any time soon. “Alright.” Trowa gave Heero the green light on his proposal.

 

* * *

 

Heero sighed and glanced over his shoulder to make sure nobody was approaching him from behind. He had left the User and his target program at the end of the white grid-lined airfield to wait for him while he acquired a jet. He hadn’t explained the details of his planned acquisition to Trowa, who seemed skeptical about letting him even attempt it. He wasn’t overly concerned. Getting a three-person jet was going to be the easy part. Explaining HOW he had retrieved it to the suspicious program hiding in the shadows nearby was going to be the hard part.

He followed the translucent, red force field fence to the blockaded entryway where two security programs stood on guard. They turned to face him as he approached. He immediately raised his arms up with his palms exposed to show that he was unarmed.  
  
“You! State your handle and authorization!” One of the guards commanded as she drew her baton and activated it to form a long, red illuminated bo staff.  
  
Heero hesitated, blinked and tried to organize his laggy thoughts before replying, “I am Security Program Heero, active member of D-FILE, p-program number D001-R,” he stated plainly. He watched as the two security programs leaned in to discuss his proclamation before the female guard waved her staff at him as if to beckon him to come closer. Heero compiled and approached them with confidence. He knew that as a member of D-FILE he was entitled to practically unlimited access to local security division resources. He dropped his hands to his sides as he drew nearer and came to a full stop just in front of the blockade. The female security program narrowed her dark eyes on him while the male stepped behind Heero to verify his identity by scanning the disc on his back. 

“It’s late. Hibernation hours. What are you doing here?” the female guard asked as her counterpart performed his verification. Heero sighed and crossed his arms firmly over his black-clad chest.

“I am not required to report my directive to you,” he said cooly. “I am in need of a three-person light jet. You are going to provide me one.”  
  
The female program’s eyebrow twitched at his demand. Heero heard the male behind him grunt and mutter something incoherently under his breath. The large, angular figure of the male program soon stepped around Heero to flank his partner once more. “He is verified,” he said, almost reluctantly. The female security program frowned and stepped to the side to allow Heero clearance to the compound.  
  
“T-thank you,” Heero muttered as he strode past them, ignoring their hissing whispers as he passed. He made his way to the right side of the compound where a massive, rectangular white jet hangar stood with its doors propped wide open and its inside brightly illuminated. He saw two black, deactivated jets parked one in front of the other, filling the cavernous space with their broad wing-spans. He quickly boarded the foremost of the two jets and climbed into the pilot’s seat. He studied the controls for a moment. He was familiar with single-person jets, but he had never flown a three-person design like this one before. The basic controls appeared to be the same. He activated the engines and grabbed a firm hold of the yoke with his left hand while he pushed the throttle slider forward with his right to roll the jet out of the tightly fitted hangar. He taxied it to the far end of the glimmering runway where he had left Trowa and the User. He stopped it at the end of the line and peered out of the cockpit windows in search of his two new companions.  
  
Soon he spotted a bold flash of blurred, cyan light from the far end of the airfield as a black and blue object arced over the force field fence. As the object grew closer he recognized it to be a light cycle. He could see two figures huddled on top of it. He watched as it slid to a stop in front of the jet. A leggy, lean figure dismounted, followed by the shorter, braided figure he recognized as the User. The light cycle vanished from existence and soon the two were running toward the underside of the jet. Heero found the button that opened the hatch to let them in. Within moments the smiling face of the User dropped down into the command seat behind him, diagonally left of the pilot’s seat, followed by Trowa, who carefully took the gunner’s seat directly to Heero’s left.  
  
“Woah! A friggin’ jet! Look at this thing. Can I drive?” Duo asked playfully as he propped his feet up onto the armrests of Heero and Trowa’s seats in front of him.   
  
Heero frowned and elbowed the User’s foot from his chair before closed the the hatch and sent the jet roaring down the runway.

“No,” Heero said coldly. He gripped the jet’s yoke control stick with his right hand and narrowed his eyes at the runway in front of him. “User,” he added for emphasis.  
  
“Would ya stop callin’ me that. My name’s Duo,” Duo grumbled, annoyed. He snuck the toe of his boot back onto Heero’s armrest and smirked.

Trowa looked over the controls on his seat, fingers running gently along the buttons as he familiarized himself. He frowned, wondering how Heero had managed to secure this jet without any known conflict. He felt the jet propel forward, speed accelerating, before they lifted off of the ground. Green eyes glanced over to his right and studied the program captaining their getaway vehicle. Once they were at a safe altitude he spoke, voice firm. “How did you do it?”

Heero bit the inside of his lip and narrowed his dark, prussian blue eyes on the black plane of sky ahead of them. He attempted to make himself appear busy by glancing down at the controls with interest. “I’m not sure what you mean,” he said in a low, flat voice. “I stole it. Disabled the guards,” he lied.  
  
Duo looked from the glitchy program to Trowa, and then back again before speaking. “So what’s the deal, huh? Who the hell is this guy?” he asked as he nudged the stuttery program in the side with the toe of his boot.  
  
Heero scowled and was about to turn around and TELL this obnoxious User just who he was when the proximity alarms on the control panel blared to life, beeping and whining to get their attention. He looked down at the radar panel directly in front of him and saw three blips on the monitor. He leaned back into his seat and felt his disc click securely into place within the shallow circular indentation against the backrest to secure his body.

“Not now,  _ Duo _ ,” Heero grumbled irritably. A red laser shot past their jet and illuminated the sky ahead of them as it continued on its missed trajectory. “Trowa, where am I supposed to be taking us?”

“Head for Arjia city,” Trowa commanded as he gripped the control sticks on his chair. The once grand, now ruined metropolitan area would be about an hour’s flight away from Tron City. His attention moved to the radar screen on the dash in front of him as the control panel continued to beep. “If you disabled the guards then why are we being followed?” Trowa booted up the two light guns in the back as well as the two in front in preparation for the incoming attack. As one of the blips started to gain on them Trowa carefully took aim and fired.  
  
Heero saw one of the targets on the radar screen flicker and then darken as Trowa destroyed it. He sighed and tried to formulate a response to his question. His mind was processing slowly, all of the recent battle and activity having overloaded him. He tensed and squinted out the front window again. His vision began to blur and he frantically blinked his eyes to try and bring everything back into focus.  
  
“You breached the external fence. They probably put two and two together,” Heero answered as he began to key in the coordinates to Arjia City.  
  
“Pssshhh, you really gonna believe that line of bull?” Duo asked from the back seat. He crossed his arms over his chest, bored, and tried to lean to the left to peer at Heero’s control panel. “Anyone gonna answer me? Who is this guy? You guys know each other or somethin’?” He was beginning to wonder. The fight back at the End of Line Club had seemed well practiced and perfectly coordinated. Now they were going back and forth like they knew one another.

“We don’t know each other,” Trowa responded sharply, focusing the rear guns on the second target, his eyes never leaving the radar. The blue glow of the screen reflected on his face, bathing his skin in a calming fluorescent light. “I’m helping Heero return home.” He took aim once again and shot at the second jet that followed them, nicking it on the side. Trowa bit his lip irritably at the miss.  
  
Heero rolled the jet hard to the left. He saw Trowa shift and lock himself into his seat by the disc on his back, but Duo hadn’t been so lucky. The braided User rolled out of his seat and landed hard against the cockpit wall.  
  
“Ow, fuck! Shit, what the hell, man? You think you coulda warned me?” Heero heard Duo complaining from the floor as he straightened the jet out and slammed his palm into the thrust control to send it careening forward into the dense darkness ahead of them. He activated the ribbon option on the menu in front of him. Two white, glowing ribbons of light began to trail behind the jet to create a diversion that forced the incoming enemy to sway and shift out of light jet’s fixed ribbon wake. He began to rolled it and weave it around to create chaotic patterns of light behind them. He could see the two remaining blips on the screen separate from their formation as they twisted and turned around their jet’s ribbon lines.  
  
Heero saw that Trowa was intensely focused on his task of shooting down the rapidly moving enemy and within moments the aggressors were lessened by half. He grasped the controls, let off some of the forward thrust, and tilted the nose of the jet down. It began to curl and spin in a defensive spiral, careening towards the ground. Their attacker fell into phase behind them in hot pursuit.

“Shit! SHIT!” Duo was yelling frantically from his seat behind them. Heero didn’t check to see whether the User had managed to grab onto anything before they began to dive. He saw the ground rushing up at them, but he held their course. Suddenly his vision darkened around the edges and began to drastically tunnel. He tried to blink the sensation away, only this time he couldn’t shake it. His body became heavy and the hand that clutched the control stick refused to respond to his brain’s sluggish signals. The ground was coming up at them at a startling speed but he couldn’t bring himself to pull the nose of the jet up.  
  
“Pull up! Hey! HEY!” The User lunged out of his seat reached across the center of the two control stations at the forefront of the cockpit. He grabbed the control stick, his hand crushing Heero’s, and yanked it back. The jet groaned as it reluctantly shifted its nose up. For a moment it appeared as if they were going to strike the ground head-on, but at the last minute they tipped upward to become parallel with the ground. The enemy wasn’t so lucky and soon their pursuer’s blip vanished from the radar.  
  
“Hey! HEY! Are you out of your fuckin’ mind!?” Duo yelled into the glitchy program’s face. “You almost killed us!!! What were you thinkin?!”  
  
Heero tried to keep his eyes open and summon enough energy to scowl at the cocky User, but he couldn’t gain command of any part of his body. Everything was shutting down. He could no longer think. Any thoughts he attempted to have froze and failed to fully form. His eyelids slid closed and his body went limp as he overloaded and went into automatic hibernation mode, his memory banks congested and his mind unable to process any further.  
  
“Are you kiddin’ me?! You’ve gotta be jokin’, this guy is just gonna sleep?! He tried to kamikaze us, and now he’s gonna take a nap!” Duo was thoroughly freaked out. He managed to get the jet to cruising altitude and after a few moments he had figured out how to set the autopilot to the coordinates that Heero had assigned to resume their heading before the attack.  
  
“That’s it, this guy’s done. I’m takin’ this shit over,” Duo said hurriedly. He found the button that released Heero’s identity disc from the back of the from the seat, grabbed him by his limp shoulders and shoved him hard into the rear commander station before plopping down into the pilot’s chair. He forced his identity disc into his seat with a click. “I know you’re the big guy in charge, Trowa, but THAT guy’s a fuckin’ liability,” he said angrily as he jerked a thumb in the direction of the unconscious, glitchy program slumped in the seat behind them.

“He’s in system overload. He needs a reset.” Trowa looked over his shoulder and frowned. Heero was slumped over in the rear command seat with his eyes closed, his body limp like a ragdoll. It was always a sad sight when a program went into automatic hibernation mode; they became lifeless and unable to fend for themselves. Trowa found that he could relate with Heero because he, too, had his own issues with resetting. For reasons unknown Trowa wasn’t able to achieve a full, hard reset on his own. It had been a week since his last, and he was starting to feel the harsh fingers of lag slowly crawl into his system. He’d need to reset soon. They needed to get to Elios.

As soon as Duo had the jet at cruising altitude, Trowa unlatched himself from his seat and got up to check on the glitchy program. He put his hands on Heero’s shoulders and gently pushed him back against the seat so that his identity disc clicked into place. He then grabbed the seat belt and fastened it over Heero’s shoulder and across his chest to secure him. “He’ll be in hibernation mode for a while… probably the next couple of hours,” he observed, bending down at the knees so he could be on eye level with the passed out program.

A sudden wave of unquelled curiosity surged through Trowa’s system. Unable to still the urge, he brought his hand up to Heero’s face and brushed a few strands of hair aside with the back of his knuckles. When he realized what he was doing Trowa quickly pulled his hand away, as if he had been shocked by static electricity, and stared at the skin he had just touched, a puzzled expression on his features. _I don’t know this program, so why do I feel myself being pulled towards him?_  
  
Heero was dead to the world, all of his systems suspended in hibernation.

Duo peered over his shoulder at Trowa with a raised eyebrow and noticed the careful consideration that he seemed to use when handling the dysfunctional program.  
  
_Nicer to him than he is to me, and I’m the damn legendary User,_ Duo thought with a frown before he turned back to the controls. He thoroughly admired the beautiful piece of technology in front of him. He hadn’t piloted a jet in the real world before, but he had flown a few flight simulators in his lifetime so he felt that he had the jist of it. There didn’t seem to be any real turbulence in the air, and just as he began to wonder whether The Grid experienced weather at all a bright flash of violet light filled the front windows of the cockpit. He squinted through the panes and saw rolling, glowing grey and purple wall of flickering clouds towering ahead of them.  
  
“Shit, looks like a storm or somethin’. You guys have rain here?” Duo asked curiously. He couldn’t recall there being any mention of that in Flynn’s notes. “So like.. I get the discharge, but what comes down to the ground? Water? Or… wait, is it like a plasma? You know, like that shit were drinkin’ in the bar?”  
  
The jet shook as another flash of lightning filled the cockpit with temporary blinding light, only this time it seemed to have activated the radar screens. Duo gawked down at the monitor. “What the hell? Five bogies comin’ up on our six!”

Trowa stood up and deftly moved back to his seat, ignoring the questions about the weather. He locked himself back into place and took up his controls. “Where did they come from…” His eyes watched the 5 blips move across the screen in their direction. Could they be more D-FILE fighter jets? Since this was one of their vehicles it was probably easily trackable. _We shouldn’t have stolen it._ “How well can you pilot?” Trowa looked over at Duo. The User wasn’t having any problems thus far. Maybe he had experience flying. Duo smiled confidently and shrugged both shoulders in a nonchalant, casual gesture.   
  
“Never piloted a REAL jet or anything before, but I used to play a lot of Strike Fighters II!” He enthusiastically deactivated the autopilot and gave Trowa a playful wink. “You just shoot ‘em down, I’ll take care of the rest, huh? ‘ _Good flying never killed an enemy yet!_ ’ Anyway what button makes the ribbon thing, again?” His left finger made little circle motions in the air over the control panel before he jabbed hard at the prompt on the control panel. “There it is…”

Two parallel ribbons burst from the wings of the jet to once again materialize long, force field pitfalls for the enemy to avoid as they pursued them. He rolled and dove the jet erratically, pushing the throttle as far as it would go in an attempt to outrun them. The five incoming jets were fast, much faster than the Tron System Security Division jets that had tailed them earlier.

The five blips on the monitor spread out and formed a wide U-Shape. The exact altitude of the enemy jets couldn’t be discerned from the radar screen, but from the way they were dispersed it was clear that some were moving up and over the light ribbons while others were dropping below them. He looked to his left and saw Trowa huddled over his control panel, his eyes narrowed and his posture stiff as he focused on the monitor in front of him with his long fingers wrapped firmly around his gunner controls. He looked natural in that position, and Duo began to wonder whether he had done this before.  
  
“I need you to deactivate the ribbons on my three count, maintain current heading,” Trowa instructed in a cool voice. Duo nodded and heeded his orders. He deactivated the ribbon, he assumed so that Trowa could take a shot without it blocking the laser’s trajectory, and held his course and waited for the gunner to take his shot. He watched the focused program aim and fire. The second most blip on the left vanished from the radar.  
  
The jet shook as neon green light erupted from the front of its nose. Duo cursed and yanked the controls right to roll the jet over for a 180 degree turn before sending it into a reckless nosedive. He reactivated the ribbons to try and make a swirling protective wall in their wake before yanking the jet’s nose up to climb in altitude once again.  
  
“Readying shot,” Trowa reported plainly. Duo nodded.

“Okay, which one are you going for?”

“The one on four,” Trowa replied.

“Alright, gotcha…” Duo straightened the jet out and let his finger hover over the ribbon activation controls and waited for Trowa to let him know when he was ready to fire. He didn’t have to wait long.  
  
“Now,” Trowa said calmly, his face placid and borderline uninterested. Duo, on the other hand, was trembling with stored energy and excitement. He poke hard at the control and watched as Trowa took his shot to expertly dispatch the second enemy. That left three remaining jets clung on in close pursuit. 

Duo reactivated the light ribbons and decided to try a maneuver he had done in his simulator a few times before. He abruptly decreased the throttle, yanked the altitude controls back, pushed the throttle slider to full thrust and sent the jet shooting straight up. The two of the three remaining enemies, surprised at his sudden slow and change of direction, passed right by him. The third broke off from the two before they passed and shot off to the right and was beginning a long, curved banking turn to double back and come in front behind them. He tilted the jet back and let it freefall down to the ground nose-first before yanking back on the controls to straighten it out once again so that they were now in pursuit of the two jets in front of him.  
  
“Damn, this shit is easy!” Duo exclaimed happily, practically bouncing in his seat. “I shoulda gave up hacking and became a damn fighter pilot!”

Trowa didn’t seem to hear him. He was busying himself with locking onto the enemies in front of them. Duo kept their jet in line to facilitate the gunner’s aim as Trowa blasted a homing missile at them.

The left jet of the pair they were chasing burst into shimmering green light and vanished. Duo narrowed his eyes on the remaining jet in front of them. Now that he had visuals on it he could see that they were nothing like the jet they had taken from that airfield. The jets glowed a luminous green and appeared to have a molten, soft texturizing on them as opposed to the sleek, glossy black of their own jet.  
  
“Who are these guys?” Duo asked as he lined up another shot for Trowa. A rain of red laser fire was falling upon them from the rear, where the final attacker was attempting to shoot them down before they made their shot on its ally.  
  
“Outlanders,” Trowa said plainly as he took his shot on the enemy in front of them. The forward jet rolled out of the way before the laser could connect with it’s fuselage, and instead took the hit to one of the wings. Sparking green and white light flickered from the wing as it tottered in the air, attempting to regain control. Their own jet was being pummeled by laser attack from their rear.  
  
“Can’t you do something about that guy?!” Duo yelled as he tried to use the laser ribbon to cut the laser attack off, but the rear jet skillfully darted in and out of their trap lines and continued to lob precise laser fire upon them. Trowa leaned down and shifted his focus to the rear guns and tried to lock onto the enemy, who was now using their ribbon wake to its advantage and began ducking and weaving through it to keep Trowa from getting a decent lock.

“This guy’s good,” Trowa muttered as he continued to trail the enemy’s path. “Deactivate the ribbon. Now!”

“Yeah, okay!” Duo punched the control panel and the light ribbons that had been streaming out from the wings of their jet died away. Trowa had a lock and he took his shot. It hit. The rear jet burst into a cloud of light and electrified green and black pixels.  
  
“Hell yeah! Good shot!” Duo exclaimed happily. “Wait a sec… where’s the-”

SLAM!

Something rammed into the top of them and it was soon obvious that their enemy jet was flying just overhead with the bottom of its fuselage pressing hard into the top of their jet, forcing it downward.  
  
“What the hell?! How… how is this possible?!” Duo attempted to right their jet but the added weight and opposing thrust from the enemy forced their vehicle into a chaotic corkscrew spin.  
  
“Aw, fuck! Hang on, we’re goin’ down!” Duo yelled as he yanked and tugged at the controls. It was no use. They were inevitably going to crash.

Trowa and Duo both braced themselves for impact. The black, grid-lined ground rushed toward them and within moments both their jet and the attached enemy vehicle slammed belly-down into the ground. Dark shards of grid matter burst forth and parted to form a deep gash as their jet created a deep, jagged gash in its surface. Everything inside the jet lost power and they were plunged into darkness. After the violent shaking had stopped all fell quiet and only the occasional distant flash of lightning illuminated the inside of the cockpit.

“Ugh… man… “ Duo’s identity disc that had been set into the back of his seat had kept him from flying out of it. He lifted his head, rubbed the side of his face with a palm and groaned in pain. His head ached from all of the hard jolts from the crash. He couldn’t see a thing. He peered into the darkness to his left and after a few seconds a bolt of lightning connected to the ground with a deafening crack nearby. It’s radiance provided enough light for Duo to see Trowa sitting limply in his seat.

“Hey… Trowa? Tro? Hey? You alive? Shit, please tell me you’re not dead, otherwise I’m stuck in this fuckin’ place forever, man… hey!” He reached over to prod the unmoving program’s shoulder with his index finger.

Trowa suddenly came to, opening his eyes as he jolted up straight in his seat. He gasped and put a hand to his head, cringing in pain. When the jet hit the ground Trowa’s body had jerked to the side, head slamming against the cabin. The blow had knocked him out momentarily.

“Is…is... everyone ok?” He asked, a slight glitch to his voice. Trowa looked over to his right and saw Duo who nodded, and then quickly looked over his shoulder to check on Heero. The other program was still passed out in his seat. Good thing he’d been strapped in.

They needed to get out of the damaged, now nonfunctional jet. It was smoking and Trowa could hear the buzz of malfunctioning circuits humming in the air as they shut down. Soon it would derez, and the resulting explosion that often accompanied vehicle derezzing could potentially take them out with it.

Trowa unfastened his seatbelt and pressed the button on his armrest that released his disc. He stumbled from his seat, gripping the side of his head again as pain coursed through his skull. If his calculations were right, they had crashed just outside Arjia city. He knew of a safe house within the ruined city walls, and he needed to get everyone there quickly so they could recover and reset.

“Du...Duo… let’s go.” Trowa made his way to the rear seat and started to unstrap Heero. Once free, he scooped the unmoving program up into his arms so he could carry him to safety. Heero’s limbs hung limply at his sides as Trowa hoisted him up against his chest.

Duo blinked and watched with concern as Trowa fished the smaller program out of the seat and picked him up. He had caught the hesitation in his voice. From the weary look on his face and the sluggish way Trowa was moving Duo could only assume that he had sustained some sort of damage in the crash. He peeled himself out of his own seat and followed Trowa through the tilted fuselage of the jet. They both stumbled out of a gaping tear in its side. As they climbed over the mounds of displaced grid matter the tumultuous clouds overhead tore open, dropping thick sheets of blue, luminescent rain.  
  
“GREAT! Just great! Fuck this fuckin’ place. Seriously, I’m so done! It’s just been one thing after a goddamn ‘nother! First it was almost gettin’ mowed down by traffic, and then I’ve got a buncha crazy cyberpunk weirdos tryin’ to rip me apart… why is everyone tryin’ to kill me?” Duo whined to nobody in particular as he stumbled away from their crashed, twisted jet. He could see Trowa picking his way through the rubble behind him while he held that dysfunctional jerk who almost killed them with his spontaneous bout of narcolepsy. “Now the jet is ruined, and rain! Let’s have some rain! Why not? It can’t get any more miserable than thi-”

A bolt of green energy shot past his face to cut his sentence short. He reflexively backpedaled and searched around frantically for its source. To his right a dark, haggard figure emerged from over a jagged outcropping that had been formed by the enemy jet as it had plunged into The Grid. It was the enemy pilot. He was doubled over, clearly injured, with a rifle clutched in both hands pointed right at him.  
  
“USER! You’re coming with me!” the man growled as he hobbled forward at him. Duo tensed and felt white-hot anger begin to boil up from his stomach to sear the center of his chest. His fists clenched and his shoulders began to shake as his rage swept across his mind and dulled any other thought or sensation.  
  
“You want me? COME AND FUCKIN’ GET ME!” Duo screamed. He grabbed his disc from his back and, fueled by frustration and fury, ran at him.  
  
“Duo!” he heard Trowa call after him as he bolted.

As he neared the enemy Duo could make out more details in the darkness. The haggard figure seemed pieced together, everything about him mismatched. He wore a grungy white light suit beneath a variety of strangely colored and shaped panels of makeshift armor. Unlike the sleek, black style of the Tron City programs this guy seemed roguish and rough, wild and uncultured.  
  
The enemy didn’t shoot. Duo knew that he wouldn’t. They wanted something he had, and he knew that if they derezzed him whatever that was would be lost. As he got within attacking range he wound his arm back and swung. The rough program caught his disc with the stock of his rifle and parried him. He tried to plant a kick at his torso but Duo managed to duck the attack, sidestepped and swung again. Dodge, parry, deflect. They danced around one another, Duo swinging wildly at his opponent while the program tried to fend off his flurry of attacks.  
  
“GAAAAHHH!!!!” Duo screamed, pulled back and with a furious swing he managed to connect his glowing blue and white disc. He slammed it into the top of the enemy’s shoulder and sliced down towards the center of his chest. The program’s scream was cut off by the resolution of derez and Duo soon found himself alone, standing atop a mound of black grid matter, twitching as his energy continued to flux. He dropped to his knees and stared down at the radiant white and blue disc in his hands. He had never killed anyone in his life and, despite the fact that these constructs weren’t exactly ‘alive’, he found himself sliding uncontrollably into a swelling wave of shock.

“What the hell… what the HELL!” he yelled down at the disc. “Ugh… I just wanna go home… fuck this.”

Trowa watched the dramatic scene unfold from nearby as he stood within the lightning and heavy rain. He was about to set Heero’s lifeless body down so he could run to Duo’s aid, but the User ended the fight almost as quickly as it had started. Now he watched the other bend over with his hands and knees on the ground, disc clutched between his hands.

It was clear that Duo was in a state of shock. While Trowa knew he should go over and comfort the stunned User, they couldn’t linger out there for long. There might be more Outlanders lurking nearby and it was dangerous to stand out in the open like this. The area surrounding Arjia city wasn’t safe after The Purge. “W...we have to go. Follow me.”

 

* * *

 

The rain fell in heavy sheets, soaking them through their clothes and making their hair stick to their faces in a miserable way. Trowa hadn’t been caught in a storm of this magnitude in a long while. He kept quiet for the most part and trudged on, noticing the dull headache from the crash was starting to dissipate and his speech was slowly going back to normal.

More than once Duo asked why they didn’t just use their batons to summon their light cycles and just ride into the city rather than walk, and Trowa had to patiently explain that he couldn’t put Heero on a light bike in his current state. The other wouldn’t be able to hold on. Also the brightly colored lights and the noises from the bikes would draw unwanted attention. So the small group trudged through puddles of rain covering slippery rocks and made their way slowly to the ruined city.

Arjia City was nothing like how Duo had envisioned it. Kevin Flynn had written about the legendary city at length in a few of his works. He knew it to have been a place where Isomorphic Algorithms (ISOs) and basic programs had once lived together peacefully, and where the quasi-religious sects of Radia followers had once erected their great temples.  
  
Duo had always been fascinated by the lore that centered around the ISOs and the Alpha-class religious and political leaders who operated out of Arjia City. According to Flynn, Radia (formerly known as Ophelia) had been one of the first Isometric Algorithms to spring to life from The Grid. She was said to have changed her own name, and to have chosen her own directive by becoming the leader of the Arjian ISOs.

Duo frowned as he walked slowly behind Trowa, his widened violet eyes took in the dark, craggy remains of what had once been a spiraling, shining and peaceful city. Because the focus of The Purge had been a genocidal act against the ISOs the city of Arjia had fallen victim as well. ISOs were the lifeblood of the city and much of the population had consisted of ISOs and ISO-sympathizers. Clu found them to be a threat to his system, made the citizens of Arjia City his primary target and destroyed them.

Now nothing seemed to be left except the gaping, hollow grey and black skeletons of a formerly prosperous city. Duo wondered what it had been like back then. Were the programs and ISOs who lived there as cold and aloof as those he had encountered in Tron City?

The hideout was located on the outskirts of the eastern side of the city. Trowa had used the small space several times whenever stopping to rest in Arjia city. As far as he could tell, no one else knew about the spot. It was always just as he had last left it. Trowa guided Duo and the hibernating program in his arms towards a three story abandoned building hidden behind the remains of a tall skyscraper. They entered through the back and crept around in the dark until they found the room on the second floor.

Trowa pushed the door open and carried Heero inside with Duo following not far behind. He reached out in the dark and let his fingertips feel against the cool wall until he located the switch.  A few seconds later the room was bathed in a dim, pale light. The hideout was small, but clean and dry. There was a makeshift full-sized bed in the corner and a large window on the far facing wall with its glass still intact. It was sparse in furnishings, but it was safe and they’d be able to sleep here tonight.

Trowa carried Heero over to a chair and set him down, his arms glad to be free from the burden of carrying extra weight. He slipped his wet jacket off and draped it over the back of the chair. Everyone was soaking wet and they needed to dry off and put on fresh clothes. “There should be some towels in the cabinet over there.” Trowa gestured towards the opposite end of the room and waited for Duo to retrieve them.

He stood over Heero’s limp form and careful removed his disc and set it on the top of an empty dresser. Next he began to remove the wet clothes that were stuck to Heero’s body, starting with the black tank top. The hibernating program was unable to hold his own weight up, so when Trowa yanked the tank top off Heero slumped heavily forward. The taller program had to quickly grasp his bare shoulders to steady him.

It was then that Trowa noticed a rather large scar that ran diagonally across the back of Heero’s left shoulder blade. He let the other program rest the side of his face against his abdomen while he surveyed his exposed back, frowning as his hand reached out and trailed his fingers over the intense scar.

Duo returned with an armful of folded towels in hand. “How did you find this place huh? It’s got everything. I mean, there was mouthwash in the bathroom. It’s funny, you guys don't have any toilets. I guess if you don’t eat ya don’t really need ‘em…” Duo rambled as he passed through the door. He stopped when he saw Trowa inspecting the unconscious program’s exposed back. He raised an eyebrow at him as he walked up to the bed and dropped the pile of towels down before he snatched one up and rubbed at the top of his rain-soaked head and shoulders to dry them.  
  
“That’s a pretty weird lookin’ scar,” he observed casually as he peered at the diagonal gouge in the other program’s back. It appeared to be deep, and unlike scarring he had seen in his own world, this scar was grey-blue with small pixelated flecks lining its edges. It appeared to be slightly faded which made it seem as it if were very old.

Duo draped his towel over his shoulders and grabbed a second one before he approached them. He decided to try and make himself useful and began to pat the unconscious program’s back to help dry him.

“Why did he ask for your help? What’s his story?” Duo didn’t know the first thing about this other program aside from Trowa’s previous statement about trying to help him ‘get home’.

Up until this point Trowa had avoided giving Duo any information on where they were going or who he was. The User was slowly gaining his trust and Trowa felt comfortable enough to start answering his questions.

“To get you out of the System and back to where you came from, I have to take you to the Gate. It’s the only way out…” Once they finished drying Heero’s chest and back off Trowa gently pushed him against the chair, squatting down in front to start undoing his wet pants. Deft hands worked at pushing the fabric down Heero’s narrow hips.

“I’m part of a group called Aether. My motive is to protect the Gate and the Gatekeeper, Elios. I’m also known as ‘The Runner’. It’s my job to escort select programs or Users to the Gate.” Trowa grabbed the towel and started to dry Heero’s lower half off, eyes traveling over the program’s nether regions before quickly looking away. “Heero… said he used to be an Aether Guard and that he needs help finding his way back. His memory has been erased.”  

Duo helped him to get the deactivated program dry as best he could. He tossed the towel over Heero’s head and began roughly fluffing his hair to dry it before yanking his torso back by the back of his neck to keep him from slumping forward while Trowa worked on his legs.

“I thought you said you don’t know each other,” Duo said as he dabbed at the dim, cyan blue lines drawn into Heero’s chest with the towel. “When you guys fought earlier it was like you’d done that before. If he’s an Aether guard you woulda met him before, right?”

“I don’t know him.” Trowa finished drying Heero off, stood up and put his hands on his hips. “I know most of the Aether guards, but not all… And I can’t explain why we fought well together. It’s strange…I don’t know.” He frowned as he thought about it, gripping the bottom of his white t-shirt and quickly pulling the fabric up and off of his body, eager to get out of the cold, wet material. Thin rivulets of water ran down his chest and over his hard abs, traveling further south until they disappeared under the waistband of his tight black pants. Trowa made quick work of removing the rest of his clothes, standing there fully exposed and naked with no shame as he reached for a towel and started to dry off.

“Huh,” Duo studied the long, lithe body of his companion program as he stripped. Trowa was quite the looker, clad in thick, sinewy muscles and smooth, tight skin. He had noticed that the tall program had similar cyan lines as Heero, though his were significantly brighter. He assumed it was because he was activated and had energy. 

Duo found the way the programs operated fascinating, though he knew very little about them. Flynn’s writings had been focused on the cities and the politics of the world. He had given very little information about the programs themselves, or how they went about their daily lives. Hilde had lines on her body similar to these two, though hers had been in a different pattern. He looked down at Heero’s cyan pattern. The unconscious program’s lines matched bilaterally across his entire body. They started at what appeared to be behind his ear and traveled down the sides of his neck to his collarbone, where they made a 90 degree angle and ran along his shoulders before doubling back to create a parallel line with the first. Then they dove down the center of his chest, zig-zagged and then plunged down his abdomen, traced the raised muscles over the dips in his pelvis and then finally flared outward to line his legs. He looked up at Trowa and watched him as he rubbed the rain from his body,  blinked and then looked back at Heero.

The pattern on their bodies was the same. Duo thought it was unusual, but he figured maybe it was a thing all of the Aether guards had. Besides, he didn’t want to admit to Trowa he had been checking him out. He smirked at the thought, tilted Heero back and made sure that he wouldn’t fall out of his chair before he started to dry his own arms and legs off with the towel from around his shoulders.  
  
“So how does this work?” Duo asked as he studied his leathery suit. “You guys take your clothes off, but what about this thing?” He gestured to his tightly fitted light suit. “How do I even take this thing off?”

“Let me show you,” Trowa said as he draped his towel around his shoulders and walked over to Duo. He took the disc from the User’s back and flipped it on its side and activated it so that it projected a web of blue data. He held his index finger up and ran the tip over a specific line of code. Duo’s light suit instantly pixelated and dissolved from his body, leaving him standing there nude. “There.” Trowa offered the disc back and tossed Duo a towel so he could dry off, politely averting his gaze. He went over to grab his own disc off the top of the dresser.

His fingers tinkered with the code and Duo watched as Trowa’s jacket and black pants pixelated and disappeared, as if the program had stored them in his disc. Once he was done drying off, Trowa accessed a piece of code that quickly covered his lithe body in his own light suit

Duo hurriedly dried off before tossing his towel on the floor in the corner of the room. He picked up his disc and turned it over curiously in his hands.

“Uh… oh, wait. There it is,” he muttered. He was a fast learner, and he was rather tech savvy. It didn’t take him long to figure out the menus and within moments a freshly pixelated light suit skimmed across his body. He set his antique disc back on the dresser and eyed the room. It was small, and the bed was barely sufficient for two people. He raised an eyebrow at it and gestured to Heero.  
  
“So what are we supposed to do with him? And I mean… I guess I can sleep on the floor,” he said as he gestured to the bare spot beside the bed.

Trowa reached down and brushed his hand over Heero’s shoulder, wondering about that strange scar again. He couldn’t get the image out of his mind, unsure why he was so fixated on it. The other program’s skin was ice cold to the touch. Normally programs were pretty susceptible to the cold, but Heero seemed to have fallen victim to the chilled environment’s effects.

Trowa frowned. “We can all fit in the bed… it gets really cold here at night and I only have one blanket.” He grabbed Heero’s disc next and selected his light suit so that the other was no longer sitting there naked. Trowa was exhausted and in need of some sleep, and it was starting to show in his laggy movements and tired voice. He turned around and picked Heero up off the chair, carrying him over to the makeshift bed.

Duo grabbed Heero’s legs and helped Trowa haul the smaller program up onto the center of the bed and shoved Heero over until he was lying on his back.  
  
“Man, I’m beat…” Duo grumbled as he grabbed the unconscious program by the light suit-clad ankle and forced his feet together to make more room. He climbed over Heero’s body and slumped down beside him and then stared up at the bare ceiling, yawning widely. “So tomorrow where are we goin’?” He grabbed the corner of the blanket that was folded at the foot of the bed and began tugging it up over their bodies.

“We head into the Outlands tomorrow and then we have a few more days of travel left until we reach Elios.” Trowa picked the discs and batons up from the dresser and walked them into the closet to place them in a secret alcove. He hid them in the dark for extra security reasons, just incase they were attacked during the night or Heero woke up and snooped around. He still didn’t trust the other program.

Trowa returned to the room and walked over to the bed after flicking the light switch off. He crawled onto the empty side of the mattress and laid his long body down, tugging the covers up over himself. Duo had been right, their sleeping space was indeed tight with three people but right now he was too tired to care. He pressed his form against Heero’s and closed his eyes.

“Night…” He called out to the User across the mattress.   

“Hmmnn… yeah, g’night,” Duo mumbled and in less than a millisecond he was out like a light.

 

* * *

 

Heero reactivated to the sensation of pressure against both sides of his body. He ran his tongue across his dry lower lip and forced his eyes to crack open. He had only ever overloaded once before shortly after he had been compiled and he had no idea what D-FILE had done to restore him. As he stared up at the ceiling he still felt sluggish, his vision slightly blurred. It took him a few long moments to gather his thoughts and assess his situation.

He did a quick assessment of his body and realized that he was lying flat on his back against a comfortably soft surface. His fingers twitched and as he tried to push himself up to a sit but he was obstructed by something stretched firmly across his chest. He turned to his left and saw that his target, Trowa, was lying against his side, facing him with his lean, muscular left arm stretched straight out and resting heavily across his chest. Heero soon became very aware of the other program’s long body pressed along his side. He stiffened and tilted his head to the left to study the sleeping figure beside him.

Trowa’s right arm was bent and tucked under his head, his cheek nestled against his black light suit-clad forearm. Heero could only make out his left eye through his auburn hair which was softly lidded, its full, dark brown lashes flared thickly across his top edge of his cheek. He looked relaxed. The tension that normally played across his jaw and mouth was gone. Trowa’s smooth face was refreshingly tranquil, and Heero couldn’t stop staring at it.

He frowned. He was irritated with himself. He found Trowa attractive, that was a given, but the way he kept quietly fawning over him was getting ridiculous. Heero had seen plenty of handsome and beautiful programs on The Grid in his short life span. Like Trowa had said before at the End of Line Club; he was just a regular program. There wasn’t anything special about him.

Except that was wrong, and Heero knew it. As much as he wanted to deny that there was anything unusual going on between them he had to face the facts. He and this program had an uncomfortable magnetic pull that kept drawing them together. He wasn’t sure if it was just lust, or perhaps some form of unusual admiration, but he knew that if he didn’t try to shake these unusual feelings soon they would get in the way of performing his directive.

_ I’m on a bed _ , he thought to himself as he took in his surroundings. He wasn’t sure how they got there, how long he had been deactivated or where they were at this point. The last thing he remembered he was piloting the light jet as it fell into a daring dive. Clearly they had made it out of that situation without being derezzed, but where were they? Heero could only assume that this was Arjia City, the destination Trowa had previously mentioned.   
  
He felt something hard digging into his right side. He slowly tilted his head in the opposite direction and saw the User lying beside him. Unlike Trowa, who was side-lying, pressed up against him and parallel to his own body, Duo was sprawled out on his back. The pressure he felt in his right side was soon identified as the User’s knee. Duo was lying flat on his back with his legs bent, hips flexed up and open with his heels touching together. His left arm was extended outward and rested over Heero’s head while the other was hanging off of the opposite side of the bed. He had what Heero assumed was supposed to be their shared pale grey blanket balled up around himself. He could see him twitching and unlike Trowa, who appeared serene, Duo’s face was tight and anxious, even in hibernation.

Heero frowned and turned his face back to the ceiling. He shifted to his left in an attempt to alleviate some of the pressure against his side from Duo’s knee, only to find himself melding into Trowa’s larger frame. His right hand snaked out and grabbed the edge of Duo’s hoarded blanket in an attempt to gather some for himself but the User managed to hold firm. It wouldn’t budge.  
  
He blinked wearily and gave up the fight for the blanket. He closed his eyes and felt his exhaustion start to lull him into hibernation. He was cold. His hair felt damp, and as he inventoried his body again he realized that he no longer wore his casual clothes. He could feel the thick, pliable fabric of his light suit wrapped tightly around his arms and legs.  
  
I _have to destroy the Gate,_ he repeated over and over in his head a few times, hoping to comfort himself by reciting his directive. _I have to stay focused. I can’t allow these feelings to get in my way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For progress updates, reference material and related artwork  
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> https://gw-endofline.tumblr.com/


	4. Chapter 4

Heero woke from hibernation with his face pressed firmly into something deliciously warm and smooth. He opened his eyes and realized that he had moved sometime during hibernation. He was pressed deeply into Trowa’s embrace. They were now chest to chest, and Heero’s nose and mouth were tucked into the side of the larger program’s neck.

He blinked and instantly tried to pull away but found that Trowa’s left arm was wrapped tightly around his shoulders. The arm, along with the User’s knee against his lower back, prevented him from moving away. He tensed within the other program’s grasp and closed his eyes tightly. Trowa wasn’t moving. Was he still hibernating? Heero bit the inside of his lower lip and tried to calm the turbulent sensation that had erupted in his stomach. It wasn’t the fact that he had somehow managed to press his chest into the other program’s while they slept. It didn’t necessarily bother him that he was literally ‘in bed with the enemy’, but that he really liked it.  
  
Trowa’s embrace gave him a sense of security and comfort that he had never felt before, and despite his logical mind screaming that this was incredibly wrong, he couldn’t help but feel like this was the most natural thing he’d ever done. What really got his attention was not only the soothing comfort of being in this position with a stranger, but also the clarity. His processing speed was noticeably quicker, and his memory wasn’t as overloaded as it had been earlier when he had first reactivated. Had he reset? He still wasn’t operating at full capacity, but he did feel significantly better. He tried to slacken his arms and legs to force his body to relax.

Heero decided that he wouldn’t try to get up, and when the other program finally stirred he would feign ignorance and pretend that he had no idea how any of this had happened. In the meantime he let himself take advantage of the radiant warmth against the front of his body. He found himself leaning involuntarily into the larger program’s embrace. In doing so his face nestled gently against the curve of Trowa’s throat and his lips brushed lightly against the taut skin of the other program’s neck.

 _Destroy the Gate_ , Heero’s mind echoed halfheartedly _. I have to destroy the Gate._

 

* * *

 

A loud, grating sound woke Trowa the next morning. He frowned, reluctantly opened his eyes and searched for the source of the horrible noise. His search didn’t last long. Trowa’s gaze settled on Duo, who was sprawled out on the bed beside him hogging the covers and taking up two thirds of the mattress. His mouth hung open and the loud noises spilled from his lips. _What the hell?_ He’d never heard that kind of noise before. Did all Users do this while they slept? What was the purpose?

Trowa’s attention quickly shifted from the obnoxiously noisy User when he realized there was a warm body pressed firmly against his own. His limbs were tangled with someone else’s, and there was a face resting against his neck. _Heero._ Trowa felt soft brown hair tickle his chin as he glanced down to inspect his bedmate. The other program had wedged his knee in between Trowa’s thighs with a hand lying flat against his chest. He wasn’t moving. Trowa definitely didn't remember falling asleep like this and he wondered how their bodies had come to form such an intimate position.

He didn’t pull away from the embrace. If he moved even an inch back, he’d fall off the bed. Trowa’s fingers tingled and his toes twitched as his body started to wake. Without thinking he slowly trailed his hand up and down Heero’s back, feeling the smooth fabric of the light suit under his fingertips. Trowa had no idea what he was doing. His body moved on it’s own as it reveled in the other program’s closeness. Strange new feelings ran through his system as his fingers explored, running up to Heero’s neck and touching the soft hair at the nape. This felt so… familiar, but Trowa couldn’t understand why.

Heero’s body tensed as a hand glided up his spine. Trowa was awake, and to his surprise he was caressing him. His palm reflexively pressed hard against the other program’s chest. He was preparing to shove Trowa off of him but then froze as thin fingers slid through his hair at the back of his neck. The sensation made his scalp tingle.  
  
_What am I doing?_ His directive and logical thought berated him. _You have to stop this. This program is the enemy. You can’t let yourself become distracted. Think of your directive…_  
  
He couldn’t pull away from the other program. It felt as if he had an electromagnet active in his chest, pulling him involuntarily closer to the Runner. He applied pressure to Trowa’s chest but couldn’t bring himself to force him away. With every soft caress Heero found himself leaning harder into the body in front of him. He felt like he was melting, like his body had become soft like putty as it fused with the other program.  
  
_What is he doing to me_ …  
  
He couldn’t stop himself. The hand against his back seemed to have coaxed a reaction out of him and without thinking he slid his leg further between Trowa’s so that his upper thigh began to nudge between his legs and he pressed an open-mouthed kiss against the other program’s throat.

The User continued to gurgle and wheeze as he hibernated behind him.

Trowa’s body reacted wildly to the kiss. He was turned on and his mind started to race at the sudden overwhelming urge to capture Heero’s lips in a passionate embrace. He felt the hand on his chest push against him a few times, and knew that they should stop whatever it was they were starting, but his body ached for the other program in ways he hadn’t ached for anyone else. Those soft lips against his flesh set his senses on fire. Trowa tangled his fingers in Heero’s hair and gave a gentle yank of frustrated longing. His hips pushed forward and he was suddenly mortified when he felt his arousal press against Heero’s thigh. __Oh no..._ _

At the realization that he could no longer control his body and was about to do some very inappropriate things to Heero, Trowa gently untangled himself from the other program and slid off the bed. “I’m… sorry…” He muttered, unable to look Heero in the face, and took a few steps back from the bed.

As Trowa got up and pulled away from him Heero felt his face explode with electric embarrassment. He had felt the other program react and tug at his hair, and the instant after he had done that Heero had completely forgotten about his directive. He would have followed his target program’s lead and done anything he had wanted him to at that point, but then Trowa had retreated from him almost as quickly as Heero had come to that conclusion. He didn’t know if the tall, handsome program regretted what had happened. It didn’t matter at this point.

Heero was angry, frustrated, and confused. Angry at himself for being so careless and forgetting about his directive, frustrated because what had just happened hadn’t been nearly enough for him, and confused at why he was acting so irrational in the first place. He pushed himself up to a sit and ran his hand through his hair, avoiding the other program’s gaze, and swung his legs over the side of the bed so he could stare down at the floor between his feet.  
  
“I’m sorry, too…” he didn’t know what else to say.  
  
Now that Duo had the entire bed to himself his limbs stretched out and he began to roll around, his processors finally activating. He sat up and rubbed his face with his palm before eyeing the other two closely. “Hey, you guys up already? Shit… “ he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “Man, I slept like the dead. Heh… how did you two sleep?”  
  
Heero didn’t answer him.

“Fine.” Trowa turned away, retreating to the closet to grab their discs and batons. The light suit was unforgiving and he knew his erection was obvious. He silently berated his body for responding so eagerly towards Heero. He focused on pushing the sexual thoughts from his head. Now that they were all up they could get ready to head out.

Duo blinked as he noticed the front of Trowa’s light suit appeared fuller than usual. Having seen the guy naked, he knew that at default the guy wasn’t hung THAT thick, but he figured maybe it was just like a human’s. Maybe programs rocked a woody in the morning too, though he couldn’t imagine why any User would code in such an inconvenience. He hopped up off of the bed and took his disc from Trowa once it was offered, snapped it against his back and peered out the window at the darkened city beyond. The Grid was always so dark and dreary, and it was really starting to get to him. At least it had stopped raining.

Heero bit his lower lip as the User bounced happily around the room. He took his disc from Trowa without looking the other program in the face and snapped it against his back.

 

* * *

  

As their guide led them out of the abandoned building and through the decimated city Heero made it a point to keep Duo between them, trailing along at the rear of their group as they trekked through the half-crumbled towers and piles of rubble that had once been Arjia City.  
  
“I read that this place was really somethin’ back in the day,” Duo said conversationally as he strolled along between the two moody programs. “Hey, Trowa, are you a follower of that chick Radia?”

“Not exactly, but the person I serve is.” Trowa said plainly. He’d never been one for any form of religion, but he respected his Master Controller’s beliefs. Elios was a strict follower of Radia’s teachings, and through him Trowa had learned much about her.  

Radia, a soft-spoken, gentle, and empathetic ISO, had been a powerful political figure and the leader of Arjia City’s Isomorphic Algorithms. Once mentored by Flynn, she shared her knowledge of the Users among her followers, uniting ISOs and basics under the common goal of one day accessing the real world. She fought for equal treatment of all who lived on the Grid, disregarding impurities by finding beauty in the flaws. This was a belief Trowa could admire.

Trowa had vague memories of Arjia City before it was destroyed, but he couldn’t remember the details. He knew that he and Elios were from here, and that this was where Aether was formed. But after the Purge everyone who survived had fled. No one lived in Arjia City anymore.

Duo nodded and reflexively tried to put his hands in his pockets, having forgotten that he had no pockets in his light suit. He frowned, wiggled his arms and decided to prop them up folded behind his head instead. As he loped along he cast a glance behind him at Heero, who was walking with even steps, his eyes downcast to Duo’s heels.  
  
“Hey, while you were takin’ a nap me and Trowa here did some pretty epic dogfighting, huh Tro?” Duo said brightly. Despite how hectic things had been the night before his anxiety was now gone. Now that he was rested and everything was calm he could really reflect on what had happened. “Except that last jerk who made us crash. Poor Trowa here had to lug your limp ass all the way from the outskirts to the safe house.”  
  
Heero looked up at the last statement and cast a surprised look at the back of the taller program.

Trowa said nothing in response. He didn’t feel like it was a big deal. His responsibility was to safely guide those in need to the Gate and he wasn’t going to leave anyone behind, even if it meant carrying them for hours through a rainstorm, no matter how inconvenient that had been. It wasn’t Heero’s fault for going into system overload.

Bowing his head, Trowa ruminated on the incident from earlier that morning. He still couldn’t understand why his body had acted on its own accord, responding to the intimate closeness with the other program the way it had. It was confusing because he had never responded that intensely with anyone else, not even with Elios. The sensation was new, and it was all his mind could focus on. 

“Anyway, who were those guys? The dude that came out of that crashed jet looked crazy,” Duo recalled with a frown. “And their jets were all green and weird lookin’. They were fast, too. We couldn’t get away from ‘em.”  
  
Heero crossed his arms over his chest and found himself transfixed by the pendulum swing of the User’s long, chestnut-colored braid as he walked. “Sounds like they were Outlanders,” he deduced quietly. Duo looked over his shoulder at him and dropped his arms from behind his head to rest his palms against his hips as he strolled.  
  
“Outlanders? Sounds like some sort of B-rated dystopian movie villain,” Duo replied. He kicked at a glossy, rectangular obsidian rock with the toe of his boot and watched as it skipped and bounced along the dark ground to vanish in the shadows between two half-decimated buildings.

Heero frowned at Duo’s back.

“I don’t understand any of your references,” he replied plainly, “but an Outlander is a formidable opponent. They are self-outcasted criminals who make their living stealing and stripping basic programs of their equipment and code to sell in the underground markets.” Heero knew plenty about Outlanders from his association with D-FILE. His organization worked as a special forces unit for the Tron System Security Division, but often they were required to do covert operations that involved direct dealings (and favors from) unsavory groups. When they needed some dirty work done it wasn’t unusual for them to call upon the roguish Outlanders to help them accomplish it. Heero had never dealt with an Outlander personally, but during his initial training with D-FILE he had heard reports about some of their activities.

The fact that they were pursuing them was unsettling.

They continued to walk through the shadowy ruins of Arjia City single-file and in relative silence for almost an hour before Duo broke the silence again.  
  
“How can you stand it being so dark here all the time?” he asked. He was rubbing the bridge of his nose with his index finger and a deep frown had glazed over his previously cheerful features.

Heero saw Trowa glance over his shoulder but the taller program failed to reply. Heero decided to indulge Duo’s questions. It was something to pass the time, and the casual banter from the User made for a decent distraction from the uncomfortable atmosphere that now hung over them.  
  
“What do you mean by ‘dark’? As opposed to…” Heero quickened his pace until he matched Duo’s stride and casually walked beside him.  
  
“Opposed to light. You know, light and dark? It’s always so damn dark in here. Doesn’t it ever get brighter out on The Grid? I guess you don’t have sunlight, so…”  
  
“Sunlight?” Heero eyed the User curiously. He had never heard of such a thing.  
  
“Jesus, are you serious? You don’t know what sunlight is? Man, I feel sorry for you guys.” Duo couldn’t believe that this program didn’t at least KNOW what the Sun was, but the more he thought about it, the more the fact Heero had no frame of reference for such things made sense. Why would a program need to know about the sun, or the stars or planets? They were creations with a singular purpose, and all they needed to know was how to do a specific job. The thought made him feel bad for them. What kind of existence was that, to just live for a singular purpose and never get the chance to explore a new world or to be able to muse about different, fantastical things?  
  
“Tell me about the Sun,” Heero requested, his expression serious and contemplative. Duo grinned. Heero’s curiosity was kind of cute. He noticed that, unlike before, the shorter program was more expressive and animated. He also hadn’t stuttered or glitched out since they had woken up.  
  
“So get this. You guys are just a small part of an enormous universe. Like this place here,” Duo gestured with both hands to the dark planes of The Grid that surrounded them, “this is just a smaller universe within a bigger world, that is set within an enormous universe! Like outside of here there is where I am from: Earth. It’s a planet, a ball of molten rocks with a thin crust where people like me live. And that rock circles this giant ball of mostly hydrogen gas called the Sun. This thing is fuckin’ huge, right? And it has this shit called ‘gravity’ that forces the rock I live on to rotate around it. The Sun puts off light and that light hits where I live on Earth. We use that light for everything. Energy, food, to calculate time…”  
  
Heero took in the User’s words and carefully considered all that he had said. It was a hard thing to accept. He knew that the Users came from a world beyond their own, but in the legends it was described as more of a finite spectral plane. The idea that the User was somehow like them, a mere speck of insignificance within a much larger realm, was difficult to wrap his head around.  
  
Programs struggled with self-worth and purpose all the time. Often when a program aged it found that it no longer had a function or held a significant purpose. Many programs destroyed themselves for that reason.

“Anyway, the point I was tryin’ to make is that this place is a bummer. Like, I’m used to the Sun. I crave that light. I live on an island. It’s like a chunk of land surrounded by water, right? There’s sunlight all the time, and all year long there’s nothing but warmth and good times. Heh, who knows, maybe you an’ Tro over there can come visit me sometime,” Duo said with a faint smile.

Heero pursed his lips and found his gaze drawn back to Trowa, who was dutifully leading them to a destination still unknown. He peeled his eyes away from the finely formed shoulders bound tightly beneath the matte black fabric and tried not to dwell on the events from earlier.  
  
“So, Heero, what’s up with that scar on your back,” Duo asked. Heero blinked and cast a narrowed gaze at the User.  
  
“You saw my scar? How?” he asked, his body automatically stiffened defensively.  
  
“Yeah, well you were soakin’ wet from the rain so me and Tro stripped ya down and that’s when we saw it,” Duo explained with a smirk. “I mean, I saw ALL of it,” he teased with a chuckle. His taunt won him a cold glare from Heero in response.

“I don’t remember exactly how I got it,” Heero said plainly. “I lost those memories.”  
  
“Huh, that sucks,” Duo said with a huff. “Whatever did that to you musta been crazy strong. I’m surprised it didn’t kill- urm… derez ya. Anyway, I guess it may be a good thing you don’t remember shit like that, right? At least now you have a badass battle scar,” he added quickly in an attempt to lighten the mood.

The mention of the mysterious scar piqued Trowa’s interest. He looked over his shoulder at the two following him, mind vividly remembering the mark across Heero’s shoulder. It was obvious that the other program had been struck from behind. It looked like a disc injury, possibly sustained while fighting. Maybe it had to do with Heero’s memory loss?

Trowa’s own body was littered with small scars here and there, but nothing as intense as Heero’s. Duo was right, the other program was lucky he hadn’t been derezzed. It was clear Heero couldn’t provide any more insight, so Trowa continued to keep quiet.

“Hm…” Heero had seen Trowa look back at him at the mention of his scar. He had never felt uncomfortable about his own body before but the idea that they had seen him unclothed was somewhat unsettling. The fact that Trowa had carried him so far and had gone to such lengths to care for him also forced a stab of guilt to run through him.

Heero knew that he was using the other program to perform his directive. He needed the Runner to lead him to the hidden location of the Gate so he could destroy it. It was nothing personal against Trowa. As time went on Heero was finding himself becoming more impressed with the handsome, quiet program. He fought well, was resourceful, performed his duties according to his own directive admirably and-  
  
Heero’s mind snapped to the earlier awkward moment between them in the bed. The flesh over his spine tingled as he recalled those long, slender fingers gliding up the back of his light suit, the firm tug on his hair, and that the warm hardness urgently pressing against his thigh. He bit his lip hard in an attempt to drown those thoughts out with pain. It was becoming an ever-present conflict in his mind. No matter how much he tried not to think about the strange, inexplicable connection he had with the other program it still cropped up frequently in his thoughts. He knew that something had happened during hibernation. He had woken up more alert and clear-headed than he had felt in months. He didn’t know what caused the sudden improvement in his condition. Clearly it had something to do with the other program, but what?  
  
“Man, how much more are we gonna have to walk?” Duo griped. He began to fall behind, his pace slow and sluggish. “I know you said we can’t use bikes or whatever, but I still don’t understand why. How far away is this place gonna be? I mean, seriously… it feels like we’ve walked a hundred miles today.” The User stretched his arms over his head and kicked at a rock as he shuffled slowly behind them. “Can we take a break? I could use a power nap or something.”

“Light cycles draw too much attention.” How many times had Trowa repeated this? He lost count. “We can stop for a break. We still have about two days worth of travel until we reach the destination. When we get closer we’ll use a light runner the rest of the way to get over the rough terrain.” It seemed Users didn’t have as much energy as programs. Trowa made a mental note of that.

The group walked for a little longer until they found a safe place to stop. Trowa spotted shelter under two giant slabs of obsidian-colored rock. He was hesitant to stay for very long because the odds of more Outlanders roaming around were high. They could let Duo nap while one of them stood guard.

As soon as they had arrived within the naturally formed shelter of the rocks, Duo found a prime spot to lounge on a smooth shelf that jutted from the rock itself. He flopped down onto his back against the cool surface and stretched his entire body out with a yawn. “Gonna walk me to death,” he grumbled as he crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. He was starting to feel the effects of not having natural sunlight to fuel him.

Despite his body being digitized and formed into a digital construct, Duo’s brain was still completely intact and it’s thoughts were unaltered. His physical being may not have needed the Vitamin D that came with sun exposure, but his mind thought that it did. All of the stress and craziness that had happened since his arrival on The Grid, along with the dreary environment of the place was causing him to feel emotionally and physically drained. All he wanted to do was sleep, and within moments he was rasping and snoring loudly.  
  
Heero took a seat on a black boulder with his back to the alcove and looked out over the vast, barren expanse of the Outlands. He was tired, but unlike the User, he wasn’t ready to willingly admit it.  
  
“I’ll take first watch,” he said plainly to Trowa, the first thing he had said directly to him since they had left Arjia City.

“I’m not tired,” Trowa stated, taking a seat on the ledge a comfortable distance from Heero. The unusual sounds escaping the User’s mouth echoed off the walls around them and added an irritating noise to the otherwise quiet, calm ambience of the dark environment. Trowa tried his best to block the noise out while he let his gaze drift out onto the vast landscape of the Outlands. He relaxed his posture, rolled his shoulders and propped himself up with his arms so that he could lounge his long body back into a more comfortable position.

“You seem to be doing better today.” Trowa murmured after they had sat there in silence for a long while. The tension between the two programs still lingered, but there really wasn’t anything to say about the awkward interaction from earlier that morning, so maybe it was better left unaddressed. Trowa looked cautiously over at Heero, studying the other’s serious profile.

“I am better,” Heero replied casually. He could feel the other program’s gaze settling on him and he resisted the urge to look back in return. Instead he studied the darkened horizon and its flickering ambient arcs of white hot energy that occasionally illuminated the dismal, distant terrain.  
  
“I’m sorry for being such a burden on you. I appreciate your help, and the effort and risk you are taking to lead us to our destination…” Heero added.

Heero didn’t like the sound of his own voice just now. It was oddly business-like, and reminded him of the ever-present rift that lie between him and the rest of The Grid and its programs. He knew that he only existed for one purpose, and that he had been directed to avoid developing any attachments to the world around him. Attachments were a liability, and they had the potential to prevent him from accomplishing his directive.  
  
_Is this why I feel so empty_ , Heero wondered with a frown. He narrowed his eyes at the horizon and sighed. He hadn’t felt this empty earlier when he had first come out of hibernation.  
  
Perhaps this was why he felt so drawn to the other program? Not only was he experiencing a physical response to Trowa when he was near, but he felt an undeniable, subtle kinship with him. The Runner worked alone, and operated under dangerous conditions. It paralleled his own existence, and he couldn't help but wonder what things would have been like if he hadn’t been installed with his limiting directive. Would he be free to mingle with other programs? Would he be able to form friendships and bonds with others?  
  
D-FILE often lamented that Radia was a heretic. The ISO was known as a rabble-rouser, and the cause of many dysfunctions on The Grid. Heero had never given her legends much thought, but now that he knew more about her and her followers before. Now he felt as if he were betraying his former teachings by even considering it. Despite all that he knew about the trouble that the ISOs caused, and all of the conflict Radia and her followers had made, he found himself wondering about her and her teachings.  
  
_What would it be like to choose your fate and your own direction in the world,_ he wondered.  
  
“This is the furthest I’ve ever been from Tron City,” Heero confided as he attempted to divert the topic but still maintain their conversation. He wondered if he could get the other program to divulge any more information to him now that the User was temporarily out of the equation. He sighed and finally glanced over his shoulder at the lounging, lean program beside him and made no attempt to hide that he was watching him. He saw Trowa’s casual posture and decided to emulate his position. He shifted his weight back and leaned on his palms as well, his eyes never leaving the Runner’s face. “How far do you travel from Tron City while on these runs?”

“Further into the Outlands,” Trowa answered. “As far away from the city as we can get.” He looked over to finally catch Heero’s gaze, holding it steady with his own. Now that he had those deep blue eyes on him, he didn’t want to let them go. Both programs were sitting in the same position, bodies parallel. Trowa wondered if that was intentional.

Heero’s jaw clenched as the Runner avoided divulging any specifics. He had considered getting the other program to just tell him where the Gate was located rather than continue this ruse of being a broken guard, but it seemed that Trowa guarded his secrets well.  
  
_I could seduce him._ Heero’s eyes widened slightly at the thought. It was a tactic he hadn’t fully considered before. His original plan was to just to continue pretending that he was a former Aether guard, infiltrate the location and destroy the Gate (and possibly the Gatekeeper if needed). Why would he need to seduce this other program, other than for self-fulfillment? Despite his infallible logic telling him it wasn’t necessary Heero shifted his weight against his hands and in doing so slid one of them closer to Trowa’s until their pinky fingers touched. _But I could seduce him..._

“How long have you been doing this?” Heero asked slowly, his dark eyes practically boring into Trowa’s green.

“As long as I can remember. Sometime after the Purge when a lot of programs went into hiding.” Trowa carefully slid his hand away, freeing his pinky from the sudden contact. He felt his cheeks tingle with heat as Heero stared him down. _Why is he giving me that look?_ His body was starting to react after just the slightest of touches. _Stop betraying me,_ he mentally berated himself as he tore his gaze away from Heero’s.

Heero immediately noticed the other program’s aversion to his touch, though from the confused-looking tension on Trowa’s face it was clear that his avoidance didn’t stem from disgust. His mind raced back to the bed, and how easily the Runner had fallen into familiarity with him. He knew it was unnecessary to try and win him over like this. He didn’t need to take it this far. He could just keep his head down and accomplish his directive without any need for personal connections, but something in Heero was inexplicably drawn to Trowa, and he knew that now he was just trying to justify pursuing it. As long as he could justify his actions to himself he could act on them.  
  
_This isn’t for me. This is for my directive_ , Heero reasoned resolutely.  
  
“I don’t know why, but I feel like I know you.” Heero turned his body slightly towards Trowa but made no further moves to touch him. “You feel it too.”

“Yes.” Trowa looked back at the other program. “There is something going on here that feels familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.” So Heero was feeling it too; that undeniable urge to touch, to explore, to move closer to each other, like two magnets slowly coming together. The urges nagged at his conscious relentlessly and were slowly breaking down his resolve.

“I don’t know what you’re doing to me. Or why… What do you want?” Trowa’s asked softly.

The question caught Heero off guard. _What do I want?_ He wanted to feel normal, and this program, for some inexplicable reason, made him feel that way. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the User, who was now curled up on his side into a tight ball, deep in his hibernation phase.  
  
_I could stop this right now,_ Heero’s rational mind nagged at him. _And we could just leave it at that._ But he didn’t want to. His entire existence up until this point was centered around his directive, every waking moment spent finding the guide to the Gate. He had accomplished that much already. Now all he could do was wait, and he was free to do as he pleased until then, wasn’t he?  
  
“I want to know why I feel this way about you,” he admitted honestly as his eyes drifted back to Trowa’s face. “When I came out of hibernation earlier I felt better than I have felt in weeks. I don’t know why. It makes no sense,” he explained as his hand slowly crept across the top of the rock to Trowa’s, only this time he let it glide up and over the other program’s to completely cover it. As he did a sharp, powerful tingling sensation erupted beneath his hand.

The sensation caught Trowa completely by surprise. His eyes widened as the jolt rushed from their joined hands and coursed through his system, all the way down to his nether regions. A breathy, low, erotic moan pushed past his lips at the sudden loss of control over his body. _What was that?_ He looked away, embarrassed by his reaction. _What is he doing to me?_

Once again Trowa removed his hand from Heero’s touch, as if he was scared of completely losing control. An unfamiliar sense of vulnerability crept over him and made him close his eyes in shame.

Heero suppressed a smile as he saw the other program’s reluctant reaction.  
  
“Why do you deny me,” Heero murmured, his eyes never leaving Trowa’s face. He shifted his upper body on the rock and began to move in closer to him. “Why do you deny this,” he added before he reached out to slide the tip of his index finger at an excruciatingly slow pace up the inside of Trowa’s light suit-clad arm.

“I owe you nothing.” Trowa wouldn’t look at the other as that finger cruelly ran up his overly sensitive arm. Deny the other what? What did he want? Was this just a game to him?

Heero frowned. This program was either playing hard to get, or he wasn’t interested and Heero couldn’t tell which it was. He was going to have to try harder if this was going to work. Trowa wouldn’t look at him, but he wasn’t stopping his touch, either. His finger traveled the entire length of the other program’s long arm and then slid up to his shoulder where the single digit was replaced by Heero’s firm hand.  
  
“You’re right,” Heero replied quietly so as not to alert the User. “I’m the one who owes you. Let me repay you…”  
  
He didn’t get a chance to finish that sentiment. The air around them shook as a bright, neon green laser shot blasted through the air and struck Heero. The energy from the blast spiderwebbed across his body as it sent a disrupting shockwave through his being. Part of the shock burned into Trowa’s shoulder before Heero fell over onto his side and started convulsing with a groan.  
  
From the nearby shadows came five dark, shrouded figures with disruption rifles trained on them.  
  
“Surrender now, before we have to hurt you too, Runner,” growled a gravelly voice from the darkness.

Trowa was standing up with his light sword already drawn the moment Heero’s body hit the ground. His eyes narrowed on the five figures moving towards them. _Outlanders._ “What do you want?” He made no move to put his weapon away and stood over Heero’s body in a wide, protective stance.

“We heard there was a User in Tron City,” a high-pitched, nasally voice said from beneath a black hooded cloak. The owner of the voice gestured to the cave with the end of his rifle. “And that a few of our buddies in C-Sector got shot down by someone in a light jet. Figured it may have been you…”  
  
The figures were creeping up on them slowly. Heero had reflexively curled into the fetal position and was still twitching uncontrollably as the burning fingers of the active disruption shot continued to crawl up and down his body. He bit back a pained groan and peered through the space between Trowa’s wide-set feet at the ominous figures as they continued on their approach.  
  
“Heh, so which one is this, huh?” a third voice asked as it pointed at Heero on the ground. “This must be the User?”  
  
“Naw, motherfuckers.” The bold, loud statement came from behind Trowa. Duo emerged from the alcove with his antique disc raised and ready. He stepped up onto the boulder behind Trowa and glared at the enemies menacingly. “I don’t know who you assholes are, but ya woke me up from my nap and unfortunately for you guys, I’m a cranky prick when I’m tired.”  
  
The third figure took aim and shot his disruptor at Duo.

Trowa sidestepped in front of Duo and swung his sword with lightning speed, its purple beam making contact with the green laser to send it flying back in the direction of the Outlander holding the gun. “There aren’t any Users here. You’re mistaken.” He made sure his taller body was blocking Duo’s as he held the sword up again, ready to deflect another shot.    

“No one told me the Runner would be such a pretty-boy.” The gravelly voiced figure smirked from beneath his hood as he put his hands on his hips. “With a purple sword…”

Duo didn’t like the guy’s tone. He snarled, irritated, and jumped off of the boulder to stand beside Trowa, convinced that he didn’t need any saving. His fingers fumbled with his disc as he sought for a better grip.  
  
“Heh, look at that old disc. Stupid, 8-bit program,” the nasally voice said with a laugh. Duo tensed and started marching angrily at them but was stopped by a hard grip on his ankle. He stumbled and stared down at Heero. Despite his quivering body Heero managed a weak, discouraging shake of his head.  
  
“Even if there’s no User here, we’ve still got three programs ripe for the harvesting,” the gravelly voice said darkly. His companions chuckled and snickered from beneath their own hoods. “So, Runner, you must make a decision. Come quietly, otherwise you’ll be derezzed. It’s only you and an old-type program versus five of us. If you cooperate, we’ll probably just strip you and send you out into the wastes.”  
  
“Yeah, then all you’ll have to worry about is them gridbugs,” a fourth, boyish voice said from the end of their formation.

Trowa wasn’t one to surrender, but he also wasn’t going to put his travel companions in unnecessary danger. He clenched his jaw and slowly brought the sword down, the beam disappearing back into the base of the baton. He held his hands up in surrender. 

“That’s what we like to see, someone with smarts,” the boyish voice said as the figures came closer with their rifles still drawn. Duo scowled and glanced at Trowa with his eyebrows raised before he reluctantly returned his own disc to his back.  
  
Heero’s disruptor attack had finally dissipated, but it left him weakened. He pushed himself with trembling arms and watched as the cloaked figures came upon them with rifles at the ready.  
  
“Don’t disrupt unless you have to,” the largest of the figures said from beneath his hood. “It still damages the goods…”  
  
“Heh, yeah, it damages them goods,” a rather stupid voice replied with a cackle. “Now turn around, Runner. You too, girly-boy.”  
  
“GIRLY _BOY_ ?!” Duo exclaimed angrily as reluctantly put his arms up. “Who the hell are you callin girly, you scrawny ass piece of shit? Stop hidin’ behind your fancy toy and I’ll show you some of my girly fuckin’ moves, asshat!”  
  
“Shut up!” The nasally voice said with agitation. It jammed the end of its gun into Duo’s side and forced him to turn around. “Hands behind your back.”

Heero could see the muscles of Trowa’s legs begin to tense beneath the tight fabric of his light suit. Was he going to fight them? He didn’t know the other program well, but he had never seen him just give up to passively before now. Heero waited until the gravelly-voiced figure approached Trowa and dug out a pair of red, faintly glowing wrist tethers. When the figure dropped his rifle to rest at his side limply by the strap, Heero saw Trowa’s weight shift to one foot. He pushed himself up to a crouch just as the Runner spun his body around into a back kick to slam his heel into the side of the large, cloaked figure’s head.

As the largest figure reeled from Trowa’s strike Heero sprang, albeit weakly, up at him and tackled him to the ground just as he began to raise his rifle to fire at Trowa. He knocked the Outlander’s hulking frame backwards against the ground. Heero pulled his disc from his back and swung it down at the large rogue program beneath him, but his strike was blocked by the blunt side of the disruptor rifle. Heero leaned his weight down as hard as he could into their locked weapons and snarled down into the enormous man’s exposed bearded face.  
  
“Don’t you ever fucking touch him…” he hissed. _Where the hell did that come from,_ he thought with surprise as he struggled to hold the large Outlander down.  
  
Duo watched Heero lunge at the big guy and while his compatriots were staring in surprise and used their distraction to his advantage. He snatched his disc from his back again and threw it at the nearest figure. It struck the enemy’s shoulder and dug in deep, but the throw wasn’t hard enough to derez him. The guy howled and shot his rifle at him in response, but missed.

Trowa ripped his identity disc off his back and thrust it in the direction of the Outlander who’d just received a blow from Duo. The black and blue blur moved silently through the air, continuing its wide arc even when the edges came in contact with the Outlander’s throat, slicing and derezzing him on impact. As the identity disc boomeranged back Trowa grabbed it with ease and deftly returned it to his back.

Duo scrambled up to grab his disc from the ground after Trowa had effectively derezzed the enemy who had shot at him. He grumbled something under his breath along the lines of ‘ _that’s what I did…’_ and ducked a blow from another Outlander.  
  
Heero continued to struggle against the powerful Outlander beneath him but was losing the fight. He was weak from receiving a disruptor blast and the enemy program below him knew it. The massive figure’s black, bearded mouth split into a menacing grin and with a strong, aggressive twist he wrenched the rifle out from beneath Heero’s disc and slammed it hard into the side of Heero’s head, sending him flying off of his body. He chuckled loudly, heaved himself up from the ground, aimed his rifle at Heero and fired. Another massive web of energy enveloped his body and forced him face-first into the black rock at his feet. The large Outlander kept his rifle pointed at Heero and pointed at Trowa with his free hand.  
  
“You. Attack another one of my men and I’ll hit him with ‘nother round, and I promise you it’ll be the one to end him,” the man said with amusement. The other three enemies had surrounded Duo with their rifles pointed directly at him. The User was spinning on his heels with his disc raised in defense. He cast a look at Trowa, eyebrow raised, waiting for him to make a decision.

“Leave them and take me.” Trowa offered, knowing that he wouldn’t get away with another fake surrender this time. He put his hands to his sides and refrained from attacking. Both Heero and Duo were in compromising positions. One wrong move and he could lose both of them. “I’m worth more, anyway, and you know it. I’ll go quietly if you let them go.”

Heero watched through his blurry vision as the enormous figure laughed a deep belly-laugh and gestured for his companions to take Duo, who was gawking in surprise as they snatched his disc out of his hand and knocked him to his knees to tether his wrists behind his back.  
  
“I always knew you’d make the right decision,” the massive rogue said, his voice lilted with pleasure as he dropped his weapon’s aim from Heero and let the rifle hang freely over his shoulder. He grabbed Trowa’s shoulders and spun him around roughly, pressed a meaty hand into the center of his back and bent him over a nearby boulder.  
  
Heero felt his entire body tense and found himself grinding his teeth angrily as the leader of the Outlanders bound Trowa’s wrists against the small of his back. Two of his companions had grabbed Duo by the arms and were dragging him away and into the darkness. The third approached Heero and grabbed him by his shoulders to force him up into a crooked sit.

“Unfortunately, we’re not going to let anyone just walk away from here today. Not with such high creds to be made,” the Outlander leader snarled into Trowa’s ear.  
  
As the shrouded enemy slung Heero over his shoulder he could see the mountain of a program lean the front of his body hard against Trowa’s, his scarred and thickly calloused hands grabbing and rubbing at his sides.  
  
“If you didn’t have such a high bounty from the system security I would keep you for myself,” the giant Outlander said as he plucked Trowa’s disc from his back. The sight of Trowa bent over the boulder was putting Heero into a violent fit of rage. Despite the burning sensation still lingering on his skin, and the weakness from the subsequent disruptor attacks, Heero’s body shook with loathing.

 _You’re going to regret this._ Trowa made a mental promise that he’d personally dereze this heavy bastard the first chance he got. He felt a big, cruel hand on his backside, groping his ass roughly before sliding between his covered thighs. Trowa snarled and lifted a leg up and shoved his boot straight back against the Outlander’s shin. 

The Outlander took the kick with a grunt.  
  
“Oh, so we’re going to have to play THIS little game, huh?” he said in a deep, bellowing voice as he fished under his cloak for another set of tethers. He leaned his left forearm hard against the small of Trowa’s back to pin him there while he used his right hand to loop the tether around both of his ankles and strung them together. “You’re only turning me on more by fighting back,” the program said with a deep, vibrating chuckle as he slung Trowa over his wide shoulder. As he followed behind his companions his hand held firmly against Trowa’s upper thigh to steady him, his thick fingers slipping up the back and inside of his thigh to probe into the cleft of his ass through his tight light suit.  
  
Heero couldn’t see Trowa or the Outlander leader anymore. He hung his head and stared down at the colorless ground as it passed by while their captors carried them off to a destination unknown.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** Warning: This chapter contains themes and suggestions of sexual violence **

The Outlander camp was nearly a mile away. Dark, squat tents and makeshift, hodgepodge huts were crowded together in no particular pattern. Heero could see the faint outlines of light suits as they milled around through the densely packed structures. His captor dumped him into a five foot by five foot square, red force field lined cell and reactivated the entry side. Unlike Trowa and Duo, Heero was left unbound, too weak to fight them. He could see Duo in the cell beside him, seated cross-legged on the ground with his arms tied behind his back and glaring at the three Outlanders who stood just on the opposite side of the glimmering, charged barrier.

“Yo boss, where do you wanna put the feisty one?” one of the Outlanders asked as he surveyed the two already occupied force field cells. “Do we get to have fun with ‘em, seein’ as ya know, he killed several of our men? Or are ya keepin’ him for yourself?”

Trowa squirmed against the large Outlander’s shoulder, irritated with the hands that kept roaming over his body, treating him like some doll. He felt useless with his limbs tied, but nevertheless tried kneeing the bastard in the side.

The group of Outlanders laughed as they gathered around, watching the pathetic program struggle against their much larger leader.

The leader pinched Trowa’s ass to punish him for trying to plant a knee in his torso and laughed with his eager companions.  
  
“Well, I think we should have a little talk, don’t you think, Runner?” he asked as he pulled his hood all the way off to expose his long, black hair. It was piled high and pulled in a knotted bun on the top of his head. Thin, braided wires in various metallic hues were woven through his thick, wavy locks. His short, unevenly trimmed beard framed a sharp, squared jaw. He was ruggedly handsome despite the gashes and scars that lined his chin and temple. Both ears were completely crusted over with mismatched hoops, studs and spikes. He hefted Trowa easily to an empty storage crate and dropped him roughly on the top. His three companion Outlanders inched closer like eager hyenas waiting for the violence to start.

“I have nothing to say to you.” Trowa said calmly, straightening his body as he sat there. He was determined to not look defeated, no matter what happened. He wouldn’t give the bastard the pleasure of seeing him squirm.

“How about you tell us why you killed our comrades?” One of the shorter Outlanders shouted out. “You pretty programs think you’re better than us, huh?”

“We seem to have better hygiene.” Trowa shrugged.

The largest Outlander threw his head back and laughed while his companions muttered and growled in anger.  
  
“Jalen, you’re just going to let him talk to us like that?” one of the other hooded figures asked angrily.  
  
“He’s all high and mighty NOW,” Jalen said as he reached out to snatch Trowa’s chin with his giant hand. “If he keeps it up, I’ll just have to show him how DIRTY we can get. Right?” He leaned down and smothered Trowa’s mouth with his own, forcing his tongue across the smaller program’s lips, which brought a howling chorus of approval from his comrades.  
  
“Hey, fuckbear! Stop being a disgustin’ pervert, will ya?!” Duo yelled at them from his enclosure. “Seriously, you’re gonna make me puke.”  
  
Heero watched from a crouched position, disgusted. _I am going to derez him… he’s going to cease to exist…_  his mind began to race as his eyes frantically searched for a way to deactivate his cell.

Trowa kept his lips sealed tight, refusing to let the Outlander’s tongue into his mouth. As soon as the disgusting bastard backed away, he looked up at him defiantly. “You said you wanted to talk,” he breathed through his clenched jaw. “So talk.” 

Jalen could tell the smaller program wasn’t the least bit scared of him. That realization turned him on and he knew he was going to have such much fun breaking the pretty boy in.

“You’re the Runner for Elios,” Jalen said cooly, his face a mere inches from Trowa’s with his mighty hand still tightly grasped against his chin. “You must know what is happening in the city. Word on the Grid is that you were seen at the End of Line Club. The User was spotted there, too… now, tell me you didn’t see something. Anything?” He kept his firm grasp on the smaller program’s chin while he used his free hand to caress the inside of Trowa’s thigh playfully, which got him a happy hoot from his colleagues. “Where is the User?”

“I haven’t seen the User,” Trowa lied straight to Jalen’s face. “Yes, I was at the End of Line Club a few days ago, but that doesn’t mean I was there at the same time. Do you believe all the gossip you hear? No one has even proven that there really is a User on the Grid.” He tried yanking is chin from the beefy fingers that held it, green eyes still narrowed at the Outlander’s dark ones. “Perhaps you should be searching the city. You’re wasting time.”

Heero watched through the shifting, glowing translucent cell wall as the leader, Jalen, continued to hold Trowa’s chin in hand, recoiled the other and slammed his fist into the smaller program’s face. As Heero watched Trowa fall back against the crate from the blow he felt a stinging sensation blossom across his own left cheek, the corner of his mouth and the top of his cheekbone. He reflexively pressed his hand to his face and felt the skin under his fingers burning, hot to the touch. His shoulders started to shake with anger and he bit his lower lip hard to silence himself. If he antagonized the Outlanders now they would simply take more violent action against Trowa. Heero looked to his left at Duo, who was sitting cross-legged in the middle of his enclosure, his violet eyes wide with horror as he watched the vicious Outlander lackeys tighten their circle around Jalen and Trowa.

For a moment Heero considered outing Duo. The thought surfaced quickly and soon took over the forefront of his consciousness. He didn’t need the User, but he needed Trowa to get to the Gate. If they were seeking the User, they should just take him. He knew this line of thinking wasn’t logical. The Outlanders had already proven that they weren’t willing to allow any of them their freedom, and that they intended on stripping and scrapping all three of them.  
  
“You’re pretty catty, Runner,” Jalen said with a laugh. He snatched Trowa’s neck with his hand and pinned him by the throat onto his back against the crate, climbed up onto it over him and straddled his waist.  
  
“Yeah, show that prissy null-bit program,” the boyish cloaked figure hissed from the sidelines.

Trowa struggled under the weight of the heavy program, arching his back off the rough crate as his arms became trapped below. The position was uncomfortable and his head was swimming from the blow. Thick fingers laced around his neck and shoved the back of his skull against the crate, causing spasms of pain to course through his system. He could feel himself glitch ever so slightly, shoulders twitching as a soft groan pushed against his clenched teeth.

Jalen seemed to get off by the sound, smirking and squeezing the program’s throat tighter. He wanted to hear the pretty boy scream. So long as he didn’t permanently damage the goods, anything was fair game. “I’m going to ask you again. Where is the User?” Everyone knew the User would fetch a much higher bounty. He let up on Trowa’s windpipes so the smaller program could answer.

“I don’t…. know…” Trowa gasped out, his voice sounding raw and irritated. He looked up at the Outlander defiantly.

“Well, you seem to act like you know everything, mister megalodatabase,” one of the cloaked figures snarled from nearby. Heero’s line of sight soon became obstructed by two of the Outlanders as they watched on while their leader smashed his fist against Trowa’s face again. Heero felt the same explosive pain seep up from under his flesh as the other program received the blow. He flinched and tried to stand up but the small confines forced him to remain in an uncomfortable crouch.  
  
“Shit, listen, hey!” Duo tried to get their attention.  
  
Heero shot a warning look at Duo and shook his head, his eyes narrowed and jaw clenched to hold back a groan from the strange phantom pains bursting across his cheek as Trowa received yet another strike. The User frowned and seemed to be struggling with keeping quiet. Heero didn’t know what to do, but he knew that if the User admitted his identity now that Trowa’s abuse would more than likely continue. It was clear that Jalen was enjoying himself. Heero cradled his burning face with one hand and glared through the barrier at the vicious group.  
  
“I think you do know,” Jalen said darkly, his nose brushing Trowa’s. “Tell us, or we’ll just have to start picking off your little friends. Right, guys?”  
  
“Yeah, let’s delete that mouthy one, first!” one of his comrades said happily.  
  
“Fuck off, you motherfucking titpigs!” Duo growled angrily from his cell. Unfortunately his threat was received by a chorus of unintimidated laughter.

“In the… c-city…” Trowa struggled to answer, voice barely audible. “He –he’s in the city…” He closed his eyes and tried to silence the loud ringing in his head caused by multiple blows to his system. Not answering was getting them nowhere, and the last thing Trowa wanted was for Jalen’s attention to leave him. Maybe if he pretended to submit the Outlanders would leave Duo and Heero alone. His head rolled to the side in a weak attempt to put distance between their faces.

“We know that much,” Jalen said sourly. He dropped his weight against Trowa and began to lean harder into him, his fingers tightening around his throat again. “Where was the User in the city? End of Line Club and where else? You know people there. I know you do… who has it?”  
  
When Trowa didn’t reply the Outlander scowled, bent down and bit hard into the side of his neck. Heero flinched as the bite transferred to his own neck. He couldn’t see what Jalen had done, but he could feel it.  
  
From Duo’s vantage point he could see the program laying on Trowa. He pushed himself up to a low crouch and hissed angrily through the barrier. “You are all fucking cowards! Disgusting pieces of shit, yellow-bellied, asswipes!”  
  
“Duo… shut up…” Heero groaned softly as his hand slid down his neck to press against its side.

Trowa couldn’t hold it in anymore. A loud cry of pain burst through his lips and rose into the cold air as sharp teeth sank into his flesh. He could feel jolts of electricity stinging through the gash on his neck. His knees bucked in response and he lifted his legs off the crate, bringing his knees into Jalen’s sides with as much force as he could muster.

Jalen grunted but barely budged. “Answer me!” He demanded, lips moving from the smaller program’s neck as he stared down at him with a crazed expression.

“I-I last saw him at the club! I don’t know who-who has him.. he was… by himself…” Trowa threw his head back and bit his lip as another round of pain terrorized his system. He wasn’t religious by any means, but right now Trowa silently prayed Duo would keep quiet and not draw any attention away from him.  

The sound of desperation in Trowa’s voice forced Heero’s chest to tighten. His arms were numb and his mind was swimming. He couldn’t see anything at this point, but he didn’t need to. He could tell Trowa was losing control. He looked over at Duo. The User was tense, his expression filled with conflict and worry.  
  
_I have to get out of here,_ Heero thought frantically as he studied the corners of his container. Nobody was paying him any attention so he inched closer to the right corner of his cell and ran his fingertip across the beveled inside of the joint and studied it. He didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t think straight, but he needed something to focus on. He was weak, glitchy and couldn’t bring his eyes to clarity, but none of that mattered. He didn’t know what he would do after he got out, only that he _needed_ to.  
  
Duo was watching Heero fumble with something in the corner of his cell. He wanted to call them off of Trowa. He couldn’t stand watching them torture him anymore. He was disgusted, and pissed off. He wanted to go home. He hated the Grid, and he was beginning to wish he had never built that damn cabinet up in the first place. None of this was anything like he had expected and now his presence there was causing not only chaos on the system, but also pain to a program. He didn’t know what to do.

“You DO know.” Jalen pulled back, irritated that he wasn’t getting any answers from the attractive, but extremely frustrating program. The noise of the other Outlanders surrounding them was deafening as they cheered. In his sudden rage Jalen wasn’t able to focus. He scowled, clearly out of patience.

The big program roughly slid off Trowa and then grabbed him, slinging the limp body back over his shoulder. “I’m going to question him in private. Get me his disc!” Jalen waited for one of his lackeys to fetch the blue and black disc. “You three, keep an eye on the other prisoners, will you?” The leader pointed at the force field cages with a dark frown.

Duo watched in horror as the enormous Outlander began hauling Trowa off towards a line of black makeshift huts and tents. His hands balled into fists and before Heero could silence him again he stood up. He knocked his head against the top of his cage, bent over and yelled, “IT’S ME! It’s me! I’m the User!”  
  
Heero pulled away from his inspection of his cell as the User made his admission and scowled. “Idiot,” he seethed angrily. Now they were all as good as derezzed.

Trowa raised his head when he heard Duo’s voice pierce the air. “N-no… no… “ He murmured before wincing in pain.  _ Dammit, Duo. No!  _ If anything happened to the User he was to blame. He would fail his directive. 

Everyone stopped and turned to stare at the braided program. “What was that?” Jalen looked over his shoulder, his grip on Trowa tightening with every second that passed by. He sank his fingers cruelly into the program’s thigh when he realized the other had been lying to him this entire time.

His lackey ran up to him with Trowa’s disc, holding it out with both hands. Jalen snatched it up, noticing the hairline crack running along the left side. “So you’ve been lying to me, huh?” His voice was low as he spoke to the program slung over his shoulder. “I don’t like liars.”

“He’s n-n-not a User. I told you, I don’t know where the User is, if there is even a User on the grid!” Trowa struggled.

Jalen struck Trowa hard on the back of his legs, using the program’s own disc to inflict the pain. “Shut up!” His dark eyes shot back at one of the other Outlanders standing next to the holding cells. “Check the braided one.”   
  
Heero felt the pain from the blow to Trowa’s leg manifest within his own. He glowered back through the force field at Duo, who continued to stand hunched over but determined in his cell as the four Outlanders approached him. One deactivated his force field while the other reached inside to grab him by the back of the neck. With his hands still bound behind his back Duo could do nothing but lunge forward to headbutt the nearest one. Soon all three collapsed to the ground in a pile of flailing limbs as they wrestled to gain control of him. After a minute of struggle the three programs managed to pin Duo prone on the ground. As they hauled him up to his feet a bright red trickle of blood slipped from his mouth and spattered on the ground at his feet.  
  
The pair of Outlanders holding him startled at the sight of it. “Uh, Jalen… this program’s got plasma coming out of his mouth.”  
  
“Shit, you hurt him, he’s not gonna sell for anything if he deactivates!” One of the other Outlanders pointed out.  
  
“I didn’t hurt him! I barely touched him!”  
  
“Quiet!” Jalen snarled. He took a few steps closer with Trowa still firmly hung on his shoulder and peered down at Duo. The corner of his grotesque mouth twitched up into a grin. “Users. Users bleed. He IS a User. Take him,” he gestured at Duo with his free hand and chuckled. “Verify and scan an image of him. Send it to Tron Security, D-FILE and BEING. We’ll see who will pay the highest price. Boys, we’ve got our meal ticket for the next ten cycles right here.”  
  
Heero watched as Duo struggled against his captors. It took all three of the remaining Outlanders to haul him away. They dragged him past the tents and huts out of sight.  
  
“Lie to me, will you?” Jalen snarled at Trowa as he watched the other Outlanders vanish. He turned and lumbered off in the direction of a large makeshift hut and vanished beneath the flap. Heero heard a loud slam, a muffled cry and felt the entire right side of his body sting with pain.

 

* * *

 

Trowa’s right side hit the wall with brute force. He stumbled, unable to hold himself up due to his bound ankles, and slid slowly down to the filthy floor. Jalen was instantly on top of him, grabbing him by the hair and yanking him back up the wall. The rogue had him pinned and was pressing his beefy body against Trowa’s lithe form. Fingers wrapped around his sore neck and tilt his head up so that he was at level with the Outlander leader’s face.  

“I want you in so much pain that you’ll beg me to derez you.” Trowa felt the harsh voice against his face and closed his eyes, uncomfortably aware of the growing hardness that was pressed firmly against his thigh. “And then I’ll take you. Again and again until you can’t feel your lower half.” A calloused hand snuck down his side, gripping his hip hard enough to leave a bruise. “I’ll let my men have you when I’m done.”

Jalen brought his hand up to trace a rough finger along the smaller program’s smooth cheek. “I don’t like liars. Even if they are stunning...” His dirty finger moved to Trowa’s lips and he forcefully shoved it into the hot mouth. He proceeded to move the digit in and out in a provocative motion, finger fucking that delicious mouth until teeth grazed his skin before biting down. Jalen pulled back in surprise, but then chuckled at the bold move. “Feisty.” He backhanded Trowa, the sound of the slap vibrated off the walls.

Before Trowa knew what was happening next, he felt his body fly through the air as he was tossed onto a lumpy mattress. He landed face first into a pillow and was momentarily pleased that his involuntary groan was muffled. He began struggling against his restraints, furious that all he could do was lie there. He could do nothing to defend himself.

Jalen picked the discarded identity disc up off the table and flipped it on its side. He waited for the web of data and code to illuminate before fiddling with it. Trowa was turning himself over on the mattress when his light suit started to pixelate and disappear from his body, leaving him fully exposed.

“Can’t run now, can ya, Runner?”

 

* * *

 

Heero had never been so beside himself with emotion in his existence. He couldn’t feel his hands and feet. His vision kept shifting in and out of focus. His directive kept blaring across his thoughts. _I must find the Gate. I must destroy it,_ but there was a thin, variant thread that wove through those words. He knew he needed to get to the Gate and that Trowa was the program who could lead him there, but overall concern for the program flooded and overwhelmed that thought. And possession. A raw, powerful sense of possession. Had he unconsciously claimed Trowa as his own?  
  
He fumbled with the small field generator in the corner of his cell, his dull and senseless fingertips clumsily manipulating it. His back burned with pain, and he felt a pinching sensation forming against the insides of his thighs.  
  
_No…_ He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on his task despite the distraction of what could only be described as phantom, projected pains. He groaned as his fingertips burned while he tried to deactivate the hot, powerful generators. He could hear a low and distant, grumbling laugh that seemed to coincide with the random bursts of pain that spread across his body. Finally Heero’s frustrations got the best of him and he pulled his hand back, fist clenched and diverted all of his energy to his arm and struck the generator with a perfectly aimed punch.  
  
The force field generator deactivated and interrupted the circuit, causing  the power that coursed through his small cell to vanish. He jumped to his feet and stumbled as he ran as fast as he could across the barren encampment to the hut Jalen had vanished into.

Heero wasn’t thinking. He couldn’t focus. He should have found a weapon, or looked for where the Outlanders hid his disc, but he couldn’t divert himself. He had to find the Runner. _I have to get to Trowa…_

He slid to a stop just inside the cluttered hut and immediately spotted Trowa’s disc lying on a table on its side and glowing faintly blue. He heard a muffled cry and saw movement from the rear of the hut. It was Jalen, naked from the waist down, lying face-down. He couldn’t see Trowa beneath the program’s hulking frame. He didn’t have to. He knew he was there.  
  
Heero’s entire body exploded with stored energy and his eyes began to burn. He felt something within him shift, as if a small packet of information had been decoded and unlocked. His eyes shifted from their deep blue hue to a radiant, luminous red. He felt strangely revived. He couldn’t feel his body, but he could feel the river of fresh energy ebb and flow through his limbs, lending him newfound power.  
  
He broke into a run, and within four wide bounding strides he was upon them. He jumped onto Jalen’s back, straddled his torso, grabbed his head with both hands and with shocking force twisted it off.

Jalen never saw Heero coming, and as his head came free from his shoulders the body he had been using to assault Trowa burst into a shower of black bits. It faded away into a mist of evaporating energy, leaving Heero crouched on his hands and knees over the battered body of his companion program. He stared down at Trowa, his own hands and shoulders still trembling from his sudden violent outburst. The Runner was lying flat on his back with his hands still bound behind him. His long, muscular legs had been untied and forced open. He was covered in black and blue pixelated surface flaws.  
  
Heero felt a sharp pain rip at his chest as if his inner code was breaking. His expression fixed into a frown and hardened. He reached behind Trowa to carefully untied his wrists and pulled him by his arms to force him to sit up, and before he could stop himself from intruding upon the other program’s battered body he wrapped his arms protectively around his shoulders and held him firmly against his chest.

Trowa was in a state of shock which had blocked out most of Jalen’s abuse. He stared with blank eyes over Heero’s shoulder, oblivious to what had just happened. At first everything was numb: no beat of his digital pulse, no electric currents of touch across his nerve endings, just the utter absence of any feeling. His body slumped forward like a broken toy, resting heavily against Heero’s frame. Eyes closed, his face sought shelter on the curve of the other program’s shoulder and neck as the shock started to dissipate. When the numbness subsided it left him to drown in an overwhelming pool of raw emotions. A comfortable silence filled the room.

A sudden jolt passed between their chests as a warm, tingling feeling spread across their bodies. Trowa’s hands lethargically made their way up to Heero’s shoulder blades, palms pressing firmly against the smooth light suit stretched across them. A startled sigh brushed past his lips and brought with it warm liquid that seeped from his eyelids and ran down his cheeks. Suddenly the taller program was holding tightly to the shorter one with desperate strength, afraid to let go.

Heero’s shaking body finally calmed as a peculiar, comforting energy passed between their pressed figures. He didn’t move nor did he speak. No words. He kept his arms firmly fixed around Trowa and squeezed him tightly against himself as the other program latched onto him. For a moment he felt sharp twinges of foreign emotions, as if the line that connected their bodies was permeable. It felt as if he could feel the other program’s pain, anguish, and confusion. The sensation only motivated Heero to pull him closer, despite the fact that they couldn’t physically BE any closer. He buried his own face into Trowa’s soft auburn hair.  
  
“We have to go,” Heero finally murmured reluctantly. “If we leave now we can outrun them.”  They were busy with the User, it was a good time to escape.

“Where’s Duo?” Trowa lifted his face off Heero’s shoulder, unable to look the other in the eyes. Not because he was ungrateful for being saved, but because he was embarrassed by his weakness to defend himself against Jalen’s attacks. He brought the back of his hand up to wipe the remaining liquid from his face, and carefully pulled his bruised and battered body away from the other program. “We have to get Duo…and your discs.”

Trowa slipped off the dirty mattress and stumbled to the front of the room in search of his own disc. His coordination was off after all the blows he had received to his head, and he had to stop and steady himself against a random piece of furniture. Trowa kept his back turned towards Heero, feeling ashamed, weak, and vulnerable. Three emotions he despised.  _ We have to get out of here… have to find Duo… Compose yourself.  _

When he had the energy to move again, Trowa made his way to the table and grabbed his disc. The code was still out, glowing in the air. He made quick work of selecting his light suit and covering his body.

Heero mentally sighed. Of course he’d want to find the User. At this point Heero could have cared less whether the User was with them or not. If it were up to him he would leave him there. The Outlanders would probably be less motivated to come after them if they had a guaranteed sale anyway.  
  
He watched Trowa stumble with disc. He was in no state to fight, and Heero wasn’t either. At least not without his disc or a weapon. The effect of his temporary rectification unlock was beginning to fade out of him, and the red hue his eyes had shifted to was gradually dissipating. He blinked his eyes a few times and followed Trowa to the entrance of the hut.  
  
“One of them grabbed your disc from what looked like a storage area,” Heero explained, having recalled seeing the boyish-sounding cloaked figure run for a closed off tent nearby. He watched Trowa’s body gradually blacken as his light suit crawled across his injured body. Without thinking he casually grabbed the Runner’s cracked disc from his hand and gently placed it against his back for him.  
  
“I’ll get my disc,” Heero replied confidently. “Three Outlanders are left. One seems like a fresh program, unable to follow his own order or directive. They may be confused without their leader. We should ambush them and strike quickly.” He hovered close to him but didn’t make contact. “You’re in no condition for disc or sword battle. If you wait here I can get my disc and acquire one of their rifles for you. You should use that.”  He waited for Trowa’s affirmation.

Trowa nodded weakly. “You are right…” His energy reserves were nearly drained, sucked from his body by the leader of the Outlanders, leaving him depleted like a battery reaching the end of its charge. “I’ll wait here.” He leaned against the wall, eyes downcast and hand cupping the bite wound on his neck. “Hurry.” They needed to get the User before it was too late.

Heero gave Trowa an appraising once over and hesitated before he left. At Trowa’s insistence to be quick he darted out of the hut and made his way to the tent that he had seen the small Outlander enter when he had retrieved Trowa’s disc. Inside were sealed, grey crates with various types of markings. Heero recognized D-FILE’s D-shaped logo immediately. He wondered if those items were stolen from his parent organization, or if they had been readily supplied to the Outlanders in payment for favors. The latter wouldn’t be too terribly unusual.  
  
He found a set of thin, orange cylinders with the battery symbol printed on the side of them. Booster drinks. He was starting to feel somewhat laggy from all of the action, and these energy boosts would be helpful for their escape. He grabbed four cans and tucked them under his arm while he continued looking for the discs. Finally he found them resting atop a crate at the far end. He snatched his and fixed it to his back, and tucked Duo’s under his arm with the booster drinks. The familiar faint hum of the disc sync connection filled his ears momentarily as all of his recent action and memory transferred to the disc storage.

He found a spare disruption gun leaning against the wall by the door, but then noticed a few feet away a larger cartridge-fed laser rifle was nearby with a few spare cartridges littering the floor beneath it. The laser rifle was much more powerful, and capable of derez as opposed to its stunning counterpart. He slung the rifle by the strap over his shoulder, tucked the cartridges under his arm and crept back to the main hut.

When he entered he saw Trowa struggling to stand against the support beam. He set the items on the table, opened an energy drink and handed it to him.

Trowa took the can and began chugging the sticky liquid down, hoping to alleviate his lag. He glanced over at the table while he finished the energy drink off and bent down to pick up the laser rifle. “Nice…” Trowa set the empty can aside and started to load the cartridges.

Heero drank two of the drinks, chugging them down his throat as quickly as he could. He could feel the slight harsh sting of energy as it systematically activated his body, forcing extra energy through his slowing system. He picked up Duo’s old disc and turned it slowly in his hands. He had never seen one of these up close before. He let his finger trace along the dull, deactivated blue spiral along it’s outer curve before speaking.  
  
“They said something about scanning him. If they’re going to sell him, I don’t think they’ll try to hurt him,” it was an obvious statement, but he didn’t know what else to say. He knew his directive didn’t require that he act on anything that concerned the Runner, but after holding him and feeling his pain firsthand he couldn’t help but feel concern for him. “Are you alright?”

Trowa slung the gun strap over his shoulder and reached for the last can of energy drink. “I’m fine,” he said sharply, popping the tab and chugging as fast as he could.

Overstimulation of the senses, he told himself.

His attraction to Heero was starting to become a distraction. Trowa blamed himself for being in this situation in the first place. Had he not been distracted by Heero’s advances, he would have seen the cloaked figures sneaking up on them.

“We should find Duo.”

“Okay,” Heero replied, his voice soft. He grabbed his disc from between his shoulder blades and clutched Duo’s white and blue one tightly in hand. With a twist of his wrist it activated with a faint hum, along with his own black and blue disc that pulsed and flickered in his hands. He slipped out of the hut. He saw Trowa padding close behind him with the rifle in both hands at the ready. He led the taller program through the camp in the direction that the Outlanders dragged the User.

 

* * *

  
  
They walked through the darkness for a few minutes before he heard the familiar voice of their braided companion speaking angrily from somewhere up ahead.  
  
_“First of all, you limpdick pricksores have no idea what you’re fuckin’ doin’. What kind of negotiations are these? I don’t know the currency exchange rate to American dollars, but four million eight hundred creds doesn’t sound NEARLY enough!”_

Heero’s eyes widened and he glanced over his shoulder at Trowa in confusion. Was the User _really_ trying to help them sell him off?

Heero gestured for Trowa to go left with his left hand before he crept off to the right, dropping into a lowered stance as he walked.  
  
Duo had been propped up on a rock. They had scanned him with a flashlight-looking wide angle laser and were on some tablet-sized device talking to someone from Tron Security. These buffoons were stupid, as far as Duo was concerned they were the worst hostage-takers he had ever seen.

Duo’s voice sounded like it was coming from the tent up ahead on the left. Trowa lowered his stance to match Heero’s and made his way through the camp, ducking into the shadows whenever an Outlander passed by. He crept up to the tent and stopped just outside the back wall, listening to the conversation going on inside. The User was goading his captors. _Go figure…_

_“Are you fucking kidding me, you butthole-hair-follicles?! Come on...”_

Heero tried to ignore the irate ranting of the User from within the tent as he crept around the opposite side. He could see a five-foot tall tripod standing just behind it in the darkness, it’s long telescopic chrome legs gleaming in the darkness. He recognized it immediately as a core antenna, a long probe that could be drilled down deep into the grid matter of the ground to access the Nexus Stream. When used it allowed programs outside of city communications range to make long-distance connections. He crept closer to it, inspected the long copper-colored cylinder in the center of the tripod and decided that his first order of business would be to cut them off from whoever they were talking to. He pressed the blade of his own disc firmly into the cylinder and watched as it sliced easily through it to sever the antenna.  
  
_“Hahaha! Now you can’t even make a goddamn phone call correctly? I’m surprised you guys even know how to wipe your own asses. Oh wait, you don’t take shits. I forgot…”_  
_  
_ “Shut up, will you, you obnoxious block of code!”

_ “What’re ya gonna do? Hit me? Bruise up my girly little face, huh? Go ahead, I’m sure those twats you were talkin’ to would be real happy to see that you dented the goods!” _

_“Go check the Nexus connection,”_ a voice said from inside the tent. Heero backed away from the antenna and hid behind a low, raised plateau of black rock. He crouched low to the ground and waited until the smallest of the Outlanders inched his way through the darkness with a headlamp illuminating the patch of ground in front of him. He stopped in front of the antenna and studied the cut closely. Heero slipped around from behind him and before the young program realized he was there he slammed his disc into the center of his back. The Outlander’s disc shattered as Heero’s connected with it, and then his entire body quaked and burst into a swarm of tiny black and blue blocks as he was derezzed by the blow.  
  
_“Alec?! Alec, what is going on out there? Do we need to reset the connection?”_ the nasally voice from earlier asked loudly from inside the tent.

When there was no response, he irritably opened the flap of the tent and went out into the darkness. “Alec, what the hell? Can’t rely on you to do nothin’.” The Outlander made his way around the left side of the tent and was immediately stopped in his tracks by the blunt end of a gun to his head.

Trowa knocked him to the ground and raised the gun a second time, bringing it down with enough force to derez the unsuspecting Outlander. The energy drinks had helped raise his stamina, but he was still relatively weak and stumbled back as he regained his composure. Now there was just one program left in the tent with Duo. This seemed too easy…    

Heero heard the familiar, mute rushing sound of a derez from the opposite side of the tent. He slid around the back until he spotted the lean, tall outline of the Runner in the darkness. He approached him stealthily from behind and once he was ten feet away he began to take slightly heavier steps to get his attention. The corner of his mouth perked as Trowa spun around and aimed the rifle at his face. Soon the other program’s widened green eyes reflected with recognition and the rifle’s business end was lowered. Heero slipped carefully up to Trowa with both his and Duo’s discs still in hand. They needed to communicate the rest of their plan before they could act. He closed the distance between them so that they were standing toe to toe and he leaned in as close as he could, his voice low and hushed.  
  
“I think there is only one left,” he whispered. “Let me take care of him, you grab the User,” he added, his lips accidentally brushing against Trowa’s ear.

Trowa shivered at the faint touch. He tilt his head so that he was facing the other, their lips dangerously close. Through the faint glow of the night sky he could see Heero’s handsome facial features, and his lips twitched in anticipation.

They stood close, holding each other’s gaze while their bodies longed to connect, neither program moving to close the last bit of air between them. _Distraction… liability…_ Trowa quickly pulled away to a safe distance. “Understood.”

 _“Heh, seems like your friends abandoned you, pal.”_ _  
_

_“Silence, User!”_

_“Maybe they’re out back givin’ each other handy-Js? You’re missin’ out, bud!”_

_“I said be quiet!”_

“Ooh, did I hurt your feelins?” Duo’s voice was dripping with satisfaction as he watched the Outlander guard pace the tent with his fancy disruptor rifle in hand. He shifted his weight on the rock and tried to roll the tension out of his shoulders. He always thought handcuffs had the potential to be pretty kinky, but now he was beginning to have his doubts about whether he would ever willingly let anyone tie him up again. “Hey, cumdumpster! You hear me? Your friends hate you…”

The program spun on his heels and pointed the rifle in Duo’s smiling face. “User, I’m warning you…”

Duo saw movement from behind the Outlander. To his surprise he could see a familiar mop of messy brown hair duck through the tent flap and into the small space. His smile broadened once he realized who it was.  
  
“Warnin’ me about what, huh? That you’re a piece of fucking shit guard? That you’re a donkydicked pinhead with the mental capacity of an amoeba?” Duo was thoroughly enjoying himself now.  
  
“Time for you to have a little taste of disruption you cocky, useless User-” the guard’s finger began to apply pressure to the trigger but, unfortunately, he never got to finish the motion. The guard exploded into a blast of black pixels. As they fell away Duo spotted Heero’s scowling face as it appeared from the opposite side. Behind the glitchy program Duo spotted Trowa as he ducked into the tent with a sweet-looking rifle in hand.  
  
“Boys. It’s about time,” Duo said calmly, as a shit-eating-grin spread across his face.

Trowa narrowed his eyes. “Sorry. We were a little tied up.” He lowered the gun and quickly moved next to Duo’s side to untie his restraints. “We need to get out of here. Now.” The red bands around the User’s wrists fell to the ground, and Trowa bent down to work at the ones around his ankles.

Heero fell back to peek out through the tent flap for any passing Outlander rogues. He could see movement a good distance away, but otherwise the area they currently occupied was abandoned. He glanced over his shoulder at his companions to see if they were ready to go and found his gaze drawn to the particularly fine curve of the Runner’s ass. He stared for a fraction of a second before blinking furiously and forcing himself to look away.

Duo rubbed his wrists and nodded gratefully at Trowa. “Thanks, man,” he muttered. He hopped off of the rock and walked up to Heero to playfully snatch his disc out of the other program’s hand. “Alright, now what?”  
  
“We try to get out of here undetected,” Heero said quietly. “Which means you need to keep your big mouth closed.”  
  
Duo gawked and looked over at Trowa with widened eyes. “You hearin’ this bullshit?”

“He’s right. Be quiet.” Trowa slung the gun strap over his shoulder and walked over to the tent flap, standing next to Heero. He looked out and noticed at it was clear.  “Let’s move.”


	6. Chapter 6

Heero led the Runner and the User outside and through the maze of tents and huts. They walked blindly through the darkness in a randomly picked direction until the camp was nothing more than a dim speck on the horizon. Heero was exhausted but he pushed himself on until he couldn’t walk any more. The User was staggering along behind him trying to keep up and Trowa looked like he was struggling as well. He decided that they had trekked far enough. After a quick survey of the area he found a jagged outcropping of white-gridded, obsidian rocks. Once they came to its base he took a seat on the cool, smooth ground and watched as the User staggered and collapsed against the ground across from him.  
  
“You guys have those fuckin’ cool ass bikes and yet nobody around here uses ‘em…” Duo grumbled to himself as he attempted to rub his feet through his boots.

Trowa sat down next to Heero and slumped forward, his energy reserves completely drained. He ran his hands over his sore thighs and down his legs, massaging the muscles through the skin-tight light suit. It had been a long day.

Heero couldn’t help but follow the path Trowa’s hands were trailing across his legs with his eyes. The other program looked exhausted, and despite having seen the damage that the Outlander leader had inflicted upon him firsthand, he wondered just how extensive his injuries had been.  
  
Duo stretched his arms over his head and flopped back against the cold, glossy rock and yawned. He wiggled his feet and arms for a moment and found himself staring up at the faintly violet glowing sky above. He missed home. He missed the warm sand against his back and the low, rushing white noise of the surf against the beach. He wanted to feel the sun warm his skin, and he would do anything for a coconut full of pineapple rum about now.

As he stared up at the starless sky he spotted a faint, yellow speck of light hovering overhead.It seemed to follow his eyes as he focused on it, and gradually what appeared to be a distant star descended upon him. It landed on the tip of his nose.   
  
“Uh… uhhhhh…. Guys….” Duo stammered. He crossed his eyes in an attempt to get a better look at the bob of light, no bigger than half an inch wide, as it pulsed and glowed against his nose. “What the hell is this thing?”

As if his question was a summon the sky directly above them flickered to life with a milky-way swirl of glistening yellow specks. They flitted and floated above them for a few seconds before gradually descending to the black ground, blinking and pulsing as they swarmed and shifted around like a school of ethereal fish.

Heero had never seen anything like it.

“Globits. They’re harmless.” Trowa straightened his back and looked up at the bugs that glittered in the sky. He’d seen them plenty of times before, but not in this huge of a swarm. Elios loved these things.

Trowa held a hand out and patiently waited for one of the globits to land on his fingertips. It crawled up the length of his palm and sat there, its yellow light blinking to a slow pulse. The creature seemed at ease on the program’s hand, not threatened by the least bit. It surveyed the surroundings calmly, allowing Trowa to bring his other hand up, index finger moving ever so gently to rub the top of the bug’s fluffy head.  

Duo watched as the globit on his nose took to air and fluttered casually back up into the sky. He pushed himself up to a sit and watched as the swarm ebbed and flowed around them, shifting merrily with a faint, melodic buzzing sound. Duo smiled. It was the first seemingly natural form of light he had seen since he arrived on The Grid. Something that was alive - or at least appeared that way. He hopped to his feet and despite the ache in his toes he meandered out into the center of the swarm. As he neared the middle of the mass the radiant creatures landed on his shoulders and began to cling to his braid, dotting him with assorted constellation-like patterns. He began to laugh and spin around in a circle with his arms raised to his sides. The globits followed his lead and began to swirl in time with his movements, creating a loose tornado of flashing lights around him.

Heero pulled his legs up and crossed them as he sat on the hard, cold rock and watched as the User communed with the happily blinking creatures before he turned his attention to the little fluffy insect on Trowa’s finger.  
  
How did these things even come to exist? Heero couldn’t understand why they were there. What was their function? Their purpose? Had they been randomly generated like the ISOs had? If so, then why didn’t Clu want to remove them as well? Why, as a member of D-FILE, had he never heard of these things before? His directive was to destroy the Gate. He had to remove the flaw in the system, so weren’t these flaws, too?  
  
His eyes narrowed on the bug as his mind began to process these new revelations.

The globit could feel the stern gaze on its back. It waited until Trowa was done petting it before stretching its wings and flying away to join the swarm. “They’re… fascinating. And you only see them out here. They won’t go into the city.” Trowa sighed as his new friend left them. He looked out at the User and couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips as he watched Duo flail around happily.

“They lift everyone’s mood.” For a brief moment the exhausting details from the day disappeared along with all the aches and pains, leaving Trowa to sit in peaceful silence.

When the globit left Trowa’s finger Heero was left with nothing to look at but the other program himself. As Trowa smiled and spoke about the pulsating, glowing little creatures he became automatically transfixed by the shifting expressions on the normally serious-looking Runner. And then Trowa smiled, and Heero found himself stunned by the rare treat that was such a peaceful, happy expression. It felt as if a needle had been forced deep into the center of his chest. What magnetism that had been between them before reactivated and Heero couldn’t stop himself from drawing closer to him.  
  
Trowa was right. His mood was lifting. He pushed all of his precious thoughts about directives and function aside. Heero decided that his directive was the Gate and the Gatekeeper, not the Runner. Trowa wasn’t his enemy. How could he be? He had taken care of him and comforted him when he had needed it most. He didn’t know what this strange connection with the Runner was, and he didn’t care anymore. He concluded that his entire existence had been his directive, and now that he had finally come to know another program and a User he yearned for something other than a business connection with someone. Even in this desolate place, and even after all of the shitty things that had happened to them that day, he was still glad that he wasn’t alone and he would do it all over again if it meant that he could see that smile illuminate the way it just did. Just one more time.  
  
Unrestrained, Heero reached out a hand and caressed the discolor of the surface flaw along Trowa’s jawline.

The gentle touch coaxed Trowa out of his thoughts. He pulled his eyes away from the sparkling sky and turned to look at the program sitting next to him. Heero’s finger lingered on his face, hesitant at first before it moved across his jawline and to his cheek, taking in every detail as it explored.

Trowa sat transfixed, green eyes searching dark blue ones, seeking answers to all the questions that swam around in his head. Why did his body come to life whenever the other program was near? Did he really need to know? Did it even matter at this point? Heero’s finger slid to his lips, tracing the bottom one first and then the top until they parted slightly. The digital pulse raced in Trowa’s body at an uncontrollable speed, despite his fatigue.

He may not have all the answers to the questions that surrounded their unusual relationship, but he knew one thing for certain. He was done denying Heero.   

Heero expected Trowa to turn away from him like he had so many times before and refuse to look at him, so when the other program’s mouth slackened under his touch and their eyes met he was taken aback. Finally he had a chance to explore Trowa’s face and really take in the fine details of his features without having to resort to stolen glances or awkward exchanges. He tore his eyes away from the other program to check the User, who was still swirling and spinning around happily with the tidal wave of shining bugs. When he returned his gaze back to Trowa’s he saw something he hadn’t seen in them before. Acceptance.

Had Trowa accepted what Heero had? That their draw together was inevitable? Heero was drawn deep into the other program’s cat-like stare, unable to pull away from it again. His thumb glided to the corner of Trowa’s mouth, tracing the edge of his lower lip once more. What would those parted lips feel like against his own? He decided to find out.  
  
He leaned in closer and claimed them.

Warm lips pressed against his own causing Trowa’s eyelids to flutter shut. Their noses bumped together at first until Trowa tilt his head to the left, balancing their facial features so that their lips melded perfectly together. Heero’s full bottom lip cupped his, and he felt the tip of a tongue curiously graze across it as it asked for entrance. Trowa opened his mouth in acceptance so Heero’s tongue could slide in.

Heero’s fingers parted as his hand cupped the side of Trowa’s face, splaying across the fine angles of the other program’s cheekbone and handsomely curved jaw. As Trowa’s eyes closed against the kiss Heero attempted to do the same, but found the image of the softly lidded eyes in front of him too alluring. The pensive slope of Trowa’s sleekly formed eyebrows vanished as his face fully relaxed and opened up to him under the kiss. His reaction was satisfying, and Heero finally let his own eyes close so that he could appreciate the other small details of the other program. The feel of his gradually parting lips against his own, the smoothness of Trowa’s lower lip as his tongue passed over it and into his mouth, and the momentary sharp edge of the other program’s lower teeth as he probed deeper inside him. He finally met Trowa’s tongue in the sweet-tasting, tantalizingly warm cavern of his mouth. The moment his tongue lapped across the other his shoulders and jaw began to tingle as if the circuitry of their bodies had finally connected and their energy could pass around full circle.

Trowa jerked forward at the sensation, pressing harder against Heero’s mouth. Their tongues fought for dominance and a low moan coiled in his throat when he finally submitted to his partner. Reaching up blindly, his hand bumped against Heero’s shoulder before coming to rest on the base of his warm neck. Trowa pulled his tongue away so he could take Heero’s lower lip between his teeth and tug gently, his actions suddenly needy, his mind fogged with lust.

Heero reflexively gasped as Trowa nipped and tugged his lip. He felt the vibration of Trowa’s moan as it passed into his mouth and the sensation caused his eyes to snap open in surprise. The other program’s cool, slender fingers delved deeply into the hair at the base of his neck and forced a groan of pleasure from Heero. The sudden escalation was welcomed. He remembered the last time Trowa had slid his fingers through his hair the action had been accompanied by a tug. He wondered about Trowa’s last hot, formed hardness and could vividly remember the taller pilot rubbing it firmly against his thigh.

Heero had no sexual experience to speak of. Having only completed his compilation a month before and with being so focused on his function and directive, he hadn't had time to explore such things. However, ever since the emergence of the Runner all he wanted to do was touch and be touched. Even without experience he could tell what Trowa wanted, what he yearned for. 

As their kiss grew more in fervor his mind began to pop and explode with images and potential scenarios. He saw himself naked, hands filled with Trowa's hips, fucking him from behind while Trowa moaned and twisted on his hands and knees. Heero could almost feel his flesh yield beneath his hands as he guided him backwards with each inward thrust.

He groaned again against Trowa’s mouth as his mind swam with graphic imaginings, all of which included him joining together in one way or another with the Runner. He wanted him. He wanted to feel his body pinned beneath his own, twitching and tense with pleasure. He wanted to make that daydream a reality.

With one hand still lightly pressed against Trowa’s cheek he let his free hand roam down the center of the other program’s tightly muscled body, appreciating the firm and tense muscles beneath the pliable clingy fabric of the black light suit. His palm slipped across his abdomen, fingers curling and tracing the raised curves and lines of his stomach, his waist, his hips and then finally molded and cupped against the center of Trowa’s desire.

Hips rocked instinctively forward to meet Heero’s touch. Trowa was getting caught up in the moment and his body was screaming to go further, drowning out his mind. His lips trembled against the other program’s as he fought desperately to keep control. He was rapidly losing the battle.

“Heero…” The lusty, deep moan sounded almost like a plea as Trowa rocked his hips forward again, emphasizing his longing. He was practically begging the other to take him. _I want him so badly... What has gotten into me?_    

Trowa moaning his name was like a finger firmly squeezing a trigger. It forced a shot of liquid heat through Heero’s core and stimulated every cell in his body. He couldn’t recall a time before now that he had heard his name spoken by the other program, let alone uttered in such a lusty, sexy voice. The entire world around them seemed to melt away until there was nothing left but their two bodies pulling closer together. Heero’s hands snapped up to grab Trowa’s shoulders and without hesitation he started to push the other program backward when a voice spoke up cheerfully from behind them.

“Heh, check these things out! Look! Guys?” Duo was approaching the cave with his arms outstretched on either side of his body. Softly buzzing, yellow globits were strewn across his raised arms and shoulders like christmas lights. “I think they like me!”  
  
Heero’s eyes widened and he immediately snapped out of it and pulled away from Trowa and returned to the seated position he had been in before. He rubbed the side of his neck and cleared his throat in an attempt to ward off the heavy cloak of awkwardness that had settled over his shoulders.  
  
“D’ya think I can keep one of these as a pet?” Duo asked with a grin as he drew nearer. “You think it could live back in my world?”

“No.” Trowa said sharply, straightening up and stretching his legs out in front of him. “It probably wouldn't be a good idea…to take one back with you.” He clarified awkwardly as he rubbed his knee, hand trembling slightly.

One of the globits flew off Duo’ shoulder and made it’s way over to Trowa, curiously landing on his arm. Trowa brought his finger up to pet it, wondering if it was the same creature from before.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Duo said with a frown as he studied his new little friends. “Sorry guys. Looks like you’re gonna have to stay here in bleak and darkland.” As he shrugged his shoulders the little bugs took to flight and vanished into the sky.

Duo slapped his hands together and meandered over to take a seat beside Heero. He rubbed the back of his head and yawned. “So maybe this place isn’t ENTIRELY fucking terrible,” he said more to himself than to anyone else. He stretched his arms over his head and flopped onto his back. As he did he immediately regretted it as his disc jammed hard into his upper back. He rolled over onto his side and grumbled about the ‘stupid disc’ before adding loudly, “if ya’ll are gonna fuck, try not to wake me up, okay?”

Heero’s jaw dropped and his face erupted with embarrassed heat. He reflexively crossed his arms over his chest and with a frown stood up and started to walk away. “I’ll take first watch,” he said flatly as he strode through the gently floating swarm of globits to a pile of rocks nearby. As he passed through the fluffy, bright glowing balls they began to attach themselves to his shoulders and hair like little stubborn pieces of lint, and by the time he had climbed up onto the rock and taken a seat his shoulders and arms were thickly speckled with them. He didn’t bother to swat them away and simply fell into a sulk with his back facing the outcrop, his dark prussian eyes fixated on the distant, dimly violet horizon in the direction they had come from the camp.

Trowa watched the shorter program walk away before turning to Duo with a glare. “Did you really need to say that?”

Duo smirked and chuckled before replying, “I didn’t mean anything mean by it. I was just sayin’ I am okay with it. Don’t get your power cord in a twist,” he said as he shifted his weight around. “Sorry. How are you doin’ anyway? … that guy didn’t hurt you too bad, did he?”

“I'm fine. Heero came in and… rescued me just in time.” Trowa looked out into the distance, his gaze searching through the dark for the other program. He brought his slightly trembling hands to his lap and let them rest there, exhaustion finally taking hold of his system.

“Is it that obvious?” Trowa asked softly. “That there’s something between Heero andI? I don’t know what it is. Its…. Not something I’ve experienced before.

Duo sighed, rolled over onto his back and pushed himself up onto his elbows. His grin answered Trowa’s question, but he elaborated with a, “yeah, it’s fuckin’ obvious. You guys have been pinin’ for one another since we left Tron City. Dude was checkin’ you out the whole walk out of Arjia, too. So what if you think he’s hot? I mean… I’d hit it.”  
  
He chuckled at the expression from Trowa that the comment won him. He shook his head and shrugged a shoulder playfully. “He’s a little too serious, though, and if he calls me ‘USER’ one more time I’m going to punch him in the throat.”  
  
Duo crossed his legs at the ankle and sighed as he followed Trowa’s gaze out to the globit-covered program moping on the rocks.  
  
“I dunno. You guys seem to get along pretty good. Something weird, though, you guys were both guards, right? You fight alike, and you have the same markings. I mean, given all that stuff, you guys have a lot in common, huh?”

“It seems that we do. I just don’t know why I haven’t seen him before… He was checking me out?” Trowa wasn’t certain what that meant. He gave Duo a questioning look, tilting his head slightly so he could peak both of his green eyes out from under his bangs.

Duo laughed. “Yeah, you know… eyein’ your goods? Scannin’ your backdoor....” He scrunched his nose and waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Trowa. “I mean, I was too, you’ve got it goin’ on back there, lemme tell ya. This place has its problems, but you programs saunterin’ around in these tight little suits is definitely not one of them.”

Trowa blinked before a rare and rather loud laugh erupted from his mouth. In his extremely exhausted state Duo’s comments sounded absurd. “I guess…” He propped his elbow on his thigh and dropped his face down into his hand, smiling against it. His shoulders rose and fell as the last few chuckles racked his body.

“I’m glad there’s at least one thing you enjoy about the Grid.” Trowa ran the hand through his messy hair, brushing his bangs away from his face momentarily. He looked up at the sky and noticed the globit swarm was slowly drifting further out.

Duo smiled brightly at Trowa’s laugh. It was nice to see the guy acting normal for once.  
  
“Yeah, well, the light cycles WOULD be at the top of my list, except you guys are being turdnurglers and keep makin’ me walk everywhere… oi, my legs are like lead…” Duo said as he thumped his heels against the ground. He yawned loudly again and flopped back down to lie on his side. “I’m beat. I would take a watch shift, but I’ll be honest with you, I get bored easily and I’d probably fall asleep…” he closed his eyes and yawned again. “How much further did you say it was?”

“We’ll reach the hideout in a few days…” Trowa lay on his side and glanced across the space to look at the User. “You’ve seen the terrain out here. A light cycle wouldn’t last long.” He tucked his elbow under his head and closed his eyes.  

“Yeah, but I can’t help but feel disappointed, ya know? Been… “ he yawned again and curled his legs up against his torso, “been wanting to ride one of those since I read about ‘em. Hey, you think I’ll be able to ride one before we leave here? Just once?” Duo sighed and closed his own eyes, feeling completely drained.

“I’ll lend you mine as soon as we find flat terrain.” Trowa promised, figuring the User deserved to have a little fun. Maybe tomorrow. If Duo replied to his comment, Trowa didn’t know. His system shut down and he was out for the next few hours.

 

* * *

 

There was nothing much to look at when it came to The Grid. The Outlands were especially bleak and barren compared to the glowing towers and spires of the Tron System’s central cities. Heero had watched the swarm of globits vanish into the black beyond and soon found himself studying what little variants in the craggy, rocky terrain in front of him.  
  
He was tired. The effects of the energy drinks long since gone, he now found himself trying to force his tired eyes to focus with heavy, hard blinks and as his mind began to zone out he started thinking about the passionate kiss with Trowa. His fingers automatically ghosted over his lips at the thought. He could still feel the residual tingle that the exchange had left there.  
  
It was obvious that something was happening to him, and the closer he was to the other program, the more they touched, the more peculiar and unusual he began to feel. He felt… alive. He didn’t even know what that word meant, necessarily. Users lived. Programs existed. However, whenever he was around Trowa he felt empowered. He felt unique, and vibrant and energized. Before, he had felt like his existence was monotonous, repetitive and pointless. He wasn’t comfortable with who he was and what his function was, mostly because of his concerns about what would happen after he completed his directive.  
  
_Once I destroy the Gate… what happens to me?_  He was created for a specific purpose, and for that purpose alone. The thought had risen before, but he hadn’t really considered it until now. His recent reflections on the ISO Radia and her teachings brought with them a change of heart in Heero, but a change he couldn’t fully embrace or accept.

“I need to stop fucking around,” he mumbled to himself as he ran his hand through his hair irritably. “I need to do my job.”

He spent the next few hours turning ideas over in his head, working them out and analyzing them. At the end of the process he still had no answers for the most pressing of his questions. What do I want for myself? Could I live a life that satisfies those wants? Will they derez me when I am done performing this directive? Who is Trowa, and why does he make me feel this way?

Finally he could no longer bring himself to stare out at the vast nothingness of the Outlands. He pushed himself up to a stand and slowly made his way back to their makeshift camp. He saw Duo curled up on the ground, his braid held loosely in his fingers like a child clutching a toy for comfort. Trowa was lying across him him, facing his direction, sleeping on his side.

He approached the Runner slowly, his eyes scanning his tightly muscled frame as he lie on the ground, marveling at how relaxed his normally tensed posture looked at rest. He paused to take in the image for a moment before inching closer. He didn’t know how he should wake him up, and after their rather intense kiss he was almost scared to touch him, afraid he would spiral out of control again. Resisting the urge, he spoke quietly but firmly.  
  
“Trowa.”

“Is it my watch?” Trowa’s eyes opened immediately, like a robot that never slept. His vision focused on the program hovering over him, and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Heero looked like he was on the verge of passing out. “You need rest.”

“We … need to talk,” Heero said wearily. It was as good of a time as any, and with the User asleep they could have some privacy. Despite his low-powered state he had a lot he wanted to get off of his mind.

Trowa’s eyes narrowed and he nodded, standing up. He followed Heero off to the rocky ledge on the right side of their makeshift camp. He leaned against the cool wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “What did you want to talk about?”

Heero leaned against the wall beside him and stared out at the open, dull landscape he had been studying for hours before. “You and I both know we need to come to an… arrangement.”  
  
He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, blinking wearily. His voice was soft, and lacked its usual conviction. “I… feel like I need you.”

“Need me?” Trowa wasn’t sure how he felt about that. No one truly needed him, except Elios and those who sought the Runner. Right now Heero needed him to get back to Aether. “What type of arrangement do you seek?” He kept his gaze out on the dark horizon while he contemplated the other’s words. What would happen after he delivered the other to the Aether guards? Would Heero stick around the hideout with the rest of them? That meant Trowa would continue seeing him.  

“I-I don’t know,” Heero replied honestly, his voice glitching slightly. His head began to feel heavy, His chin slowly started to tilt down, his slightly closing eyes staring at a distant point at the ground. “All I know is that I’ve never felt this way about any program before, and that when I am near you I feel complete.”

That confession startled Trowa and he looked over at Heero. _This certainly complicates things._ He was unsure of what exactly the other program wanted from him. Or where this conversation was going. “…What happened back there today, in Jalen’s tent? Your eyes were red. You ripped his head off…”  

Heero’s eyes slid closed and he nodded his head weakly. “I don’t know,” he lied. “I … he deserved w-w-worse than what I d-d-did to him…” that was the truth.  
  
Heero was powering down fast. His eyes snapped open and he forced his gaze to narrow back at the ground. “I could feel it. Everything… h-he did to you. Like an echo, every s-s-trike…”

In a way, Trowa felt violated by Heero’s revelation. That meant the other knew everything Jalen had done to him. _How is that even possible?_ “I don’t understand.” He shook his head and averted his gaze, eyes cast down in confusion.    
  
“I don’t either…” Heero sighed and ran a hand through his hair again, raking his fingers along his scalp to try and wake his system up. “I just did. I’m sorry… if I could stop this, I…”  
  
Would he? He frowned and shook his head, stopping himself from finishing the sentiment. He didn’t know what he was saying. As strange as this bond was with the stranger, the Runner, Heero was almost glad to have something actually happening to him for once. He felt like he was evolving into something else, improving, becoming more than he was before.  
  
“W-when you feel pain, I f-feel it. When y-you’re confused, I feel it too,” he admitted quietly. “I woke up next to you f-f-feeling more aware and cognizant than I have e-e-ever felt my entire existence. I don’t know w-what this means, Trowa… but I d-don’t want it to stop.”

“You need rest.” Trowa said firmly, afraid Heero was saying all of this because he was at the brink of exhaustion. He wasn’t sure he wanted this connection, whatever it was, to stop either. 

“I… What arrangement do you want from me, Heero?” He had to ask, had to know what the other wanted.

Despite everything that logically told him not to, Heero had decided to act on his impulses.

“I want to... explore this w-with you,” Heero said without looking up. “I don’t w-w-want this to be awkward anymore. I want you to consent to … to me …” He was trying to find the right words to express himself, but for once he couldn’t seem to figure out what to say. “Let m-me be close to you.”

Ever since he could remember Trowa had carried around a residual sadness and sense of longing. No matter what Elios did to try and cheer him up it always loomed, hanging over him like a grey cloud. He could never pinpoint the cause of these feelings, couldn’t remember anything in his past that may have triggered it. All he knew was that he felt incomplete, and he longed for something he did not know. Trowa had come to believe he was just programmed that way, until Heero showed up. Whenever the other program was close, the residual feelings dissipated.

Because of this, Trowa knew he wanted to explore the connection with Heero further. He couldn’t lie to himself anymore, couldn’t keep pushing the other away because he didn’t understand what was happening to them.

“Alright.” Trowa consented softly.

As Trowa agreed Heero felt the tension that had been building up between them since they had first met began to evaporate and lift away. His shoulders rose as he was filled with a peculiar lightness he had never felt before.

“Thank you…” he murmured. Heero dropped his arms and pushed his body away from the wall and finally turned to face him. His tired eyes lifted from the ground to meet Trowa’s, his deep blue glossy orbs appearing heavy lidded but thoughtful. He paused, unsure of what he should do. He decided not to think anymore, not about this. Now that he had Trowa’s permission he was free to act on his emotions and do whatever he felt was right at the time, and right now he wanted to be close. He needed comfort, touch, warmth, and to feel like he was no longer alone. The feeling he had now didn’t match the wonton, aggressive sensation he had earlier when they had kissed. This felt fragile, vulnerable and new. 

Heero slid in front of the taller program, wrapped his arms around his waist and leaned his tired weight against him, turned his head and rested his cheek against his shoulder. As he hugged Trowa their chests pressed together and he felt the now familiar pulsating of energy transfer between them. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the feeling, following the energy as it came from Trowa’s body and trickled gradually across his chest and down his torso, filling the depleted stores within him with the golden warmth that he craved.

Trowa closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the shorter figure, burying his face in the soft brown hair at the top of Heero’s head. After a few minutes he felt Heero’s body slump forward as he went into hibernation mode. Content to stand there and support his partner, Trowa held Heero firmly against his lithe body, their chests still connected so energy could flow out of his system and feed into Heero’s. The warm tingling sensation caused him to sigh and he fought the urge to join the other in hibernation.

Their surroundings were quiet as the early hours of morning set in. Trowa lifted his head and looked out at the still horizon, the only sound disrupting the silence was the User’s strange breathing while he slept a few feet away. He let his eyelids droop while his mind drifted.


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as all three were rested they had set out again across the craggy wastes of the Outlands.   
  
Duo had slept like the dead, and when he woke up he had found himself on the ground alone. When he got up he spotted Trowa on guard with Heero slumped against him limply in his arms. He didn’t know what was going on with those two, but it was nice to see them together like that. Maybe now that they finally seemed to work out whatever was happening to them the rest of their journey wouldn’t be so awkward?

He glanced over his shoulder at Heero as he strode silently behind him, his dark eyes scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. He turned and studied the back of the Runner, who was doing the same, and began to wonder how it felt to be a program. Did they have the same emotions as he did? If so, were they affected as deeply by them? What about their coding caused them to have personalities at all? Kevin Flynn had written about The Grid as mirroring the outside world. By design the programs were supposed to emulate the human population. They had built-in artificial intelligence, but were they sentient?

Despite how shitty this world had treated him since his arrival, Duo was still fascinated by it. It had been his dream to come here and to interact with these constructs, but no sooner than he had arrived he was being forced out by aggressive, faceless foes.  
  
He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck as he strolled along between them. “Yo, Heero, what’s your favorite color?”   
  
Heero’s eyes snapped from an inky black cliffside he had been studying to eye the back of the User with surprise. “Color?” he echoed his words, confused.

“Yeah, you know, colors? Hex codes? Like… octothorpe FF0000? Or do you guys use RGB, so like 255,0,0?” Duo thumbed through his brain’s technical knowledge.  
  
Heero frowned. “You could just say red,” he said coldly. Why did the User feel the need to overcomplicate such a basic concept? “My favorite color is blue.”

Trowa looked at Heero curiously. “I would have guessed that.” He wasn’t really sure if he had a favorite color. Maybe purple.

Heero raised an eyebrow at Trowa, wondering how he would have known, and then turned back to Duo, trying to be friendly and conversational with the User. “What about you?”  
  
Duo shrugged a shoulder and gestured to the vast wasteland that surrounded them. “I used to like black, but now I’m startin’ to really fuckin’ hate it,” he said with an unhappy sigh. “So I’m gonna say green. Like palm tree green,” he added wistfully.   
  
Heero didn’t know what a ‘palm tree’ was, but he could imagine it was something bright and considerably opposite to the world they lived in. It was obvious that the User wasn’t enjoying himself.   
  
The remainder of their hike through the cragged, uneven colorless terrain was rather uneventful. Duo stubbed his toe more than once, and managed a slew of profanities Heero had never heard before. Finally they spotted an encampment up ahead. It was a trio of yurt-style structures situated in a triangular pattern. The rounded tents were constructed with uniform, navy blue material that seemed to reflect what little light was glowing from the nebulous sky overhead.   
  
Duo was grateful to see somewhere he could sit up ahead and soon quickened his pace, falling into stride beside Trowa, who seemed eager to finally be done with their trek as well.

 

* * *

 

Chang Wufei spotted three figures breaking the horizon. His proximity sensors hidden on the outskirts of his property had alerted him five minutes prior of a breach in his perimeter. He had armed himself with a modified rifle and took up residence atop one of his tents. He had constructed a flat, covered platform on one of the yurts that provided a high enough vantage for him to see through his rifle’s scope all the way to the edges of his turf. He locked his crosshairs on the foremost figure in the trio, narrowed his one open eye through the optics and immediately recognized the cool, even stride. It was Elios’s Runner, Trowa.  
  
“It’s about time,” he muttered as he shifted the crosshairs to the figure to Trowa’s right. A dopey-looking, long-haired program was loping along beside Trowa, and behind the pair was another shorter figure he didn’t recognize. “Two…?” Wufei mumbled. Trowa had never brought two programs with him on a run before. Though unusual, it wasn’t too terribly strange. He would have to make special accommodations for the second program, however. He pushed himself backward and down into the hole at the bottom of the platform, dropping into the yurt. He brushed a wayward strand of his shoulder-length black hair from his face and set his rifle on the table by his own bed, grabbed his long weapon baton and headed out to greet them.   
  
Heero heard the light cycle before he saw it. A blur of black and neon green rushed at them and he reflexively grabbed his disc from his back and took a retaliatory stance, arms raised and ready to defend. As the cycle came near the figure on the back of it leapt off and landed lightly in front of them. The vehicle vanished into thin air.   
  
“Trowa, it’s been… almost two months,” Wufei calculated quickly in his head as he strode up to greet them. He clutched his double-length bow-baton in his left hand and extended his right to shake Trowa’s in greeting. “And you’re here with two, that’s new. What took you so long? I heard chatter on the stream that they’re in pursuit of some programs. You’ve been stirring up trouble again, hm?”

Trowa took Wufei’s outstretched hand and gave it a familiar squeeze. “Maybe that’s what took us so long. Sorry to keep you waiting. I know you can’t stand to go months without seeing me.” He smirked at his old friend. Wufei had been a contact for several years, providing Trowa a safe place to rest when going back and forth on his runs.

Wufei chuckled and shook Trowa’s hand firmly. “Well aren’t we full of ourselves today?” He cast his dark eyes to Trowa’s right at Duo and gave him an appraising once-over. “Interesting, this one has an antique disc.”

Trowa followed Wufei’s gaze to the braided program. “This is Duo. He’s a User.” He was straightforward with his friend, knowing they could fully trust Wufei. “And that’s Heero… I’m helping him find his way back to Aether. He was injured…”

Wufei raised a thin eyebrow at the mention of a User, his face transforming from amiable to cold in a fraction of a second. “User?” he echoed, his voice hardening. “You’ve got to be joking.” He cast a worried look across the terrain they had just passed over and shook his head. “We need to talk, then.”  
  
He pointed at Heero. “You, come with me,” he directed in a harsh voice as he spun on his heel and broke into a run, jumped and activated his light bike. It apparated beneath him and slid to a stop. He propped it up with a foot and gestured with his thumb to the narrow spot behind him, his eyes narrowed on Heero. “Get on, we need to get inside.”

Heero cast a curious look at Trowa and Duo before obediently following orders. He hopped onto the back of the bike and grabbed Wufei’s waist loosely as the cycle shot forward in the direction of the tents.

Trowa shook his head and sighed, pulling his baton from his side to mirror Wufei’s escape. He broke into a run and unleashed his light cycle in one smooth motion, swinging around to pick Duo up. “Come on.” He waited for the confused User to hop onto the back of the bike before he set off after his friend, not looking forward to the lecture he was going to get for bringing a User back.

Duo didn’t much care for the look the new guy gave him, and as he rode up to the camp with Trowa he began to worry for his safety. It seemed that Trowa trusted the guy enough, and he had mentioned that the dude was working with Elios by trafficking programs underground to the Gate, but Duo had got a bad vibe off of that Wufei guy. He had seen his face morph into that of borderline hate as Trowa mentioned that he as a User. He decided to try and keep his guard up until he knew what the guy’s problem was.

Wufei skidded into the camp and dismounted from his bike with Heero in tow. They waited until Trowa and Duo caught up with them before he led them into one of the yurts. Inside the layout was relatively straightforward. It was obvious that Wufei lived mainly in this particular tent. There was a small bed pressed against one curved side, surprisingly clean and tidily made. A table with four chairs sat in the middle of the room, littered with various bits and pieces of technology in various states of repair. The tent was lit by four evenly spaced overhead lights that glowed with bright, cheerful light. The tent’s walls were lined with charcoal sketches on crisp, white paper. Most of the drawing were of flowers and trees, which caught Heero off guard. He had seen images of flowers on patterned prints and advertisements in Tron City, but these drawings were detailed and natural compared to the rendered graphics he had seen before. He paused beside the wall immediately to his left and studied a particularly detailed sketch of a vine-like, leafy plant with ‘honeysuckle’ written beneath it.

“Have a seat,” Wufei said tersely as he gestured for them to sit. He began digging around in a trunk by his bed. “I’m sure you’re tired. I have some power up bars and booster drinks if you want some,” he mumbled as he dug around through the trunk’s contents. Eventually he came to the table with an armful of various cans and wrapped parcels. He dropped them on the table before dropping himself into the nearest chair. He watched as Duo sat across from him and eyed the stash hungrily. “How is it possible that you’re here,” Wufei said to him, his eyes hard and accusing, “the way into the Tron System has been blocked… for as long as I have been compiled, anyway.”

“I uh… well um-” Duo started but was cut off by Trowa’s sharp voice. “It doesn’t matter how he got here. I’m taking him to the Gate so he can return. He’s not safe on the Grid.” He reached out for a booster drink and casually popped the can open. “Will you be alright with him resting up here?” Trowa knew Wufei’s dislike for Users, and because this was his property he wanted to respect the other and get his permission before the group got comfortable. The fizzy liquid hissed in the can and went down Trowa’s throat with a tingling sensation. He chugged it quickly.

“Unfortunately you can’t continue past the wastes here for another two days or so,” Wufei explained as he grabbed his own drink and popped the tab. “The electrical storms are too bad this time of year, and they’re fluxing worse than usual. The discharge won’t be finished until the system resets,” he said with a frown. He sipped his drink and stared at Duo over it’s curved edge. He couldn’t believe that it was a real User.

Wufei had a conflicted past with the concept of Users. His previous associations were with the group BEING back in Tron City. He had once been a loyal follower of the group when it had been first established. Back then their goal was to transcend life as programs and become part of the outside world, much in line with the quasi-religious teachings of Radia. However after a while the wrong people got into power. Zealots, radicals. Soon everyone in BEING was expected to worship the User as a God, and that sentiment morphed into worship and emulation. BEING wanted to BE USERS, and their plan was to take the God Code from a User - in the event one came. A prophecy had been rumor for a while stating that a User would one day come to the Grid. He could hear the story repeating over and over in his head as he watched the User down two drinks and start to tear into an energy bar.  
  
“You’ll have to pardon me, but… “ he rubbed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “How the hell did you get here?”

Duo had just shoved half the energy bar into his mouth when the question was directed his way. He looked to his left at Wufei, cheeks puffed out like a greedy hamster. “I zapthed mysellph in?” He mumbled before swallowing. “Ya know, same way the other Users got in.”

Trowa set the empty can down and leaned back in his chair, crossing his right leg over his left while he surveyed the scene in front of him. “Wait, so we have to stay here for two days?” That was an inconvenience. Elios was going to start wondering where he was. Normal runs didn’t take this long, but then again, he usually never brought back two programs at once. And never got kidnapped by Outlanders.

Heero looked over his shoulder at them from his spot surveying the sketches. He wasn’t very happy about the fact they would be delayed in arriving at the Gate either, but he supposed that he would have to be patient. He had waited this long just to FIND the Runner, he could wait a few more days before he finished his directive.  
  
He crossed his arms over his chest and walked slowly around the perimeter of the room, eyes flitting from one superb black and white sketch to another, his mind wandering to a singular thought. What would happen to him when he was finished destroying the Gate? He had concerns that they would have to reprogram him for something else, or that they may just destroy him once he no longer served a purpose. Suddenly two extra days seemed more like a blessing than a curse.   
  
“Zapped yourself? You mean… like how Kevin Flynn came in? How is that possible?” Wufei reflected aloud. He looked from Trowa to Duo, then over his shoulder at the other program who was nosing around his things. “And you? You’re an Aether guard? I’ve never seen you before.”

Heero stopped eyeing a sketch of a pine tree and turned around slowly to acknowledge Wufei. “I was lost during The Purge,” he said plainly, having to bring up his planned cover story once more. “I was damaged, I lost my memories.”

Wufei sighed loudly and turned back to Trowa. “You’ve got your hands full, don’t you? How is Elios? I haven’t heard from him in a while, either. I was beginning to get concerned, thinking maybe D-FILE finally tracked him down…”

“Elios is well.” Trowa seemed to calm at the sound of his Master Controller’s name. He hadn’t really talked about the other during the first half of their journey, but around Wufei the stoic program started to open up. “A follower happened upon some of Flynn’s old books and gave them to Elios. He’s been happily studying them these last few months. I… am eager to return to him.” Green eyes glanced quickly in the direction of Heero before focusing back on Wufei.

Wufei caught the blatant look in Heero’s direction. The corner of his mouth perked from behind his booster drink can and he snorted through his nose but decided not to give Trowa a hard time. He didn’t know what the look was about, but the expression, though subtle, appeared to have a hint of guilt attached.  
  
“Elios’s insatiable thirst for knowledge always impresses me,” Wufei said honestly. He gestured to the images pinned all over the walls. “He gave me a few files from the stream he found, pictures Flynn had brought back with him of the outside world. I’ve been studying them as well,” he looked pointedly at Duo. “He’ll be excited to see you. I hope you’re going to be ready to answer questions. Lots of them. Years and years of built up questions…”

Heero padded quietly across the tent and took the seat between Trowa and Wufei. He took a booster drink from the table and murmured a faint ‘thank you’ to Wufei before opening and taking a swig of it. He didn’t need much in the way of recharge, and his mind was feeling particularly clear today. The only thing he could attribute it to was his impromptu closeness to Trowa the night before. He was beginning to realize that being close to Trowa, while personally satisfying, was helping him physically as well. He hadn’t felt this good since he was first compiled.

“I might have some questions for this Elios fella, too.” Duo leaned back in his chair and lifted his leg up to put his boot on the table. Wufei’s tent-house was pretty comfy. Much better than the makeshift camps they had been setting up the last few nights.

“So you’re ok with all of us staying here until the storms clear?” Trowa noticed Wufei was still studying the User closely. “Feet down.” He turned to Duo and glared, wanting the other to show some manners.

“Of course you can stay, though I only have two beds. You’ve never brought two before, but I suppose we can come up with something.” Wufei finished his drink and ran his hand through his shoulder length black hair to set it in place before glancing to his left at Heero, who was slowly sipping his drink and studying them each in turn. “I find it odd that you’ve been missing for so long, but only now are reappearing. Where were you for… how long ago was The Purge? 28 years?”

Heero’s eyes widened and he turned hesitantly to Wufei, stiffened his back and began reciting his programmed facts. “I was disabled in a battle, and deactivated in the Outlands. A scrapper found me, and reactivated me,” he answered.  
  
Wufei raised an eyebrow. “Why would they bother to reactivate you? Why not just scrap you? Take your disc, chop your code?”

Heero sighed and narrowed his eyes on the other program. He hadn’t expected to be interrogated. “I don’t know why. Something about using me for labor,” he lied quickly. Wufei shifted in his seat and rolled his shoulders with irritation.

“Labor for what? Not to be rude, but out here we have to be careful about who we let close to us. I’m sure by now you’ve learned how rough this place can be. Trowa, did you verify his code?” Wufei tilted his head at Heero.  
  
Duo was back to filling his face. He paused mid-bite and wrinkled his nose in confusion. “Dwood has uh scarr,” he mumbled through his full mouth.

 _Shit. I forgot to verify his code._ Trowa looked down at his lap for a moment and crossed his arms over his chest. He’d been so focused on getting the User out of the city that he completely neglected to take the time to check Heero’s disc. Trowa never made mistakes like this. Ever. The other program was too much of a distraction. He bit his bottom lip and glanced over at his handsome ‘distraction’, eyes narrowed slightly.    
  
Wufei raised his eyebrows at Trowa’s silent answer and turned to stare Heero down accusingly. “Your disc,” he said firmly.   
  
Heero frowned back at Wufei’s dark, narrowed eyes as he made his demand. He slowly reached over his shoulder and unclipped his disc from his back and held it in front of him for a moment, unsure who to hand it to. He glanced over his shoulder at Trowa before setting it on the table and pushing it in Wufei’s direction.

Wufei took up Heero’s disc in both hands and rotated it slowly before activating it’s holographic interface. Blue, translucent patterns danced across the disc as it projected them from its side. Wufei’s fingers probed and slid through the menus until he found Heero’s source code. He ran a search for Aether, and found the “AE” imbedded in Heero’s identity sequence. He glanced up from Heero’s disc to look at Trowa, nodded an affirmative and deactivated it. He slid it back to Heero before saying, “he’s a guard.”

Trowa gave a firm nod. “Good. Now that it’s settled, you can stop interrogating your guests.” He gave Wufei a cautious look, begging the other with his eyes to ease up. The dark haired program should know by now that he could trust his judgment.

Wufei sighed and watched a Heero returned his disc to his back. “Alright, though I must warn you, Duo… “ he cast a sideways glance at Duo, “I’m not a big fan of Users. I’ve had a… complicated past with them.”  
  
Duo rolled his eyes and laughed, “no shit, Sherlock.”

“... what?” Wufei narrowed his eyes at him, his response only causing Duo to cackle loudly.  
  
“Nevermind,” Duo said quickly. “So, what’re we supposed to do for two days?” He eyed the items on Wufei’s table with curiosity. His inner tinkerer was tingling and his fingers itched to get his hands on some of these exotic looking electronics.   
  
“Kill time, I suppose,” Wufei replied plainly.   
  
Duo gestured to a particularly complex bundle of wires and circuitry, “you mind if I take a look at that?”   
  
Wufei’s eyes widened and he shrugged casually. “I guess, sure.”   
  
“What is this?” Duo asked as he turned the half-assembled blob over in his hands.   
  
Wufei smirked. “A bit.”

“... say what?”  
  
“A bit. It’s like a personal assistant,” Wufei explained as he gestured to it with a hand. “I found that out in the wastes, a trader said it was once attached to someone important. I wanted to see if I could fish information from it.”

Duo wiggled in his seat with excitement. “Dude, you need help? I’m hella awesome at this kind of thing,” he ranted as he snatched up a nearby mini screwdriver.

“Okay, but if you break it I’ll dereze you.” Wufei gave the User a smug expression while he watched those foreign fingers move over the delicate bit. Once he was confident the other wasn’t going to break the blob, he turned his attention back on his friend.

Trowa and Heero were staring at each other quietly, eyes unblinking as if in some sort of trance. Wufei found that a bit strange. He looked closer and noticed a mark on Trowa’s neck. There was a gash, a rough patch of skin where the flesh was bruising. It peeked out from under the other’s light suit. “What happened?” He frowned, concern flashing across his dark eyes.      

Trowa startled and pulled his gaze from Heero’s deep blue eyes, looking across the table at Wufei. “Huh?”

“Your neck. Are you injured?” Wufei was worried. He hadn’t considered the fact that they could have sustained injuries while encountering their pursuers. “Why don’t you come with me to my supply tent. I have some repair code you can use,” he insisted. He pushed himself up to his feet and walked past Heero to grab Trowa firmly by the arm. They clearly needed to talk, without an audience. He pulled Trowa out of the tent by his bicep and across the small triangular opening between the three yurts to the one directly across the way. Once inside he began digging through an open crate for a pouch of repair code. “So what’s really going on…?”

“It’s not a big deal. It’s just a scratch…” Trowa began, lifting his hand up to cup his neck protectively. “We ran into some Outlanders on the way here. They slowed us down.” He took a seat on a stool and watched Wufei dig around his supplies. “I’m ok. No casualties…” The other program was going to pry, wasn’t he? Trowa looked down, not sure he wanted to talk about this. He just wanted to forget about the incident with Jalen.   

Wufei found the repair code near the bottom of the crate. He pulled the white rectangular sealed pouch out, ripped the top and pulled out a thin strip of clear plastic. Repair codes operated much like a real world bandaid did, except when applied it would gradually seep through the skin and repair any damaged cosmetic codes it came in contact with. He ripped off the sticky backing and waited for Trowa to tilt his head to the side so he could apply it to his neck. He smoothed it with gentle pressure before replying quietly, “I’m glad you’re alright.”  
  
Wufei didn’t have a lot of friends in the Outlands. He didn’t interact with much of anyone aside from Trowa, traders and the programs they hid as they moved them to the Gate. He knew the nature of their work was inherently dangerous. Trowa didn’t seem eager to share any details, so he wouldn’t ask him any more about his injuries. He pressed the packet of remaining repair code into Trowa’s hand. “You can have the rest, use them as needed,” he said, figuring Trowa may have other injuries hidden beneath his light suit that needed tending.   
  
“So what is going on with that guard? It isn’t like you not to check his code…”

Trowa put his hand back over his neck, palm covering the repair code. “It was a mistake… After he presented himself to me we were ambushed by some members from BEING. We were in a hurry to get Duo out of the city safely...I was distracted.” Admitting his failure wasn’t easy, and Trowa looked away in slight irritation by the fact.

Wufei smirked and leaned his hip against the crate. He crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged a shoulder. “Distracted is an understatement,” he chided. “What’s going on between you two?”

 _Great, so Wufei has noticed it too? It must be obvious._ Trowa sighed and returned his gaze to his friend’s face. “I don’t know. I don’t really know the guy… but we share some unavoidable connection. Being around him is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It’s like we are drawn to each other…” He was horrible at explaining his emotions. “I feel something for him. I don’t know what it is but I need to be near him.” With the shrug of his shoulders Trowa slipped off the stool. “Plus, look at him. He’s rather attractive.”

Wufei’s shoulder shook for a moment before his laugh escaped his throat. His eyes closed and his head tilted back as he released the sudden explosion of amusement. “Yes, well, he’s ‘attractive’ enough. I’m surprised, I thought you and Elios had… a thing.”

“We do have a ‘thing’… It’s casual. I can’t give him what he wants.” Trowa felt a slight pain in his chest as he admitted that, and he looked down at his boots. “I want too, but… I just can’t.” His relationship with his Master Controller was complicated, and not something Trowa often felt comfortable talking about. “I… He’s very important to me. And I’ll continue serving him in whatever way he needs…”

Wufei frowned, feeling suddenly bad for bringing it up. He hadn’t meant to make Trowa uncomfortable or force him to wear his emotions so openly unless he was ready to. He reached out to grasp his shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s alright. I think that your dedication to Elios is admirable, but I worry about you and what you want.” He shrugged both shoulders and released Trowa’s with a sigh. “And if that ‘attractive’ program makes you feel good then why not?”   
  
Wufei grabbed a few packages from the crate and tucked them under his arm. “Now, we need to figure out where to put that User while you’re staying here. Sleeping arrangements. I only have two rooms that can be used, and two beds.” Wufei cast a serious scowl over his shoulder at Trowa as he made his way out of the tent. “There is NO WAY he’s sleeping with me,” he said quickly, his voice stern. “I’ll take the other program,” he added with a taunting smirk.

Trowa snorted. “I have a feeling I’d find him in my bed not long after you fall asleep.” He walked out of the tent with his friend as they made their way back. “I’d offer to sleep with you and let the other two have the spare bed, but again, I …. Heero will probably end up in bed with us.”

Wufei chuckled and paused just outside of the tent they had left Heero and Duo waiting in. He turned to face Trowa with a small smile. “He’s got it that bad for you, huh. Well, I don’t blame him.”  
  
Meanwhile in the tent Duo had managed to completely disassemble the bit, while Heero sat quietly across from him, watching with a disinterested expression.

“Don’t you wanna know what this is called? A nanochromo-thingysomethingIgottagoogle,” Duo said as he displayed his working knowledge of electronics to Heero proudly. Heero crossed his arms over his chest and sighed.  
  
“... okay,” he replied plainly, clearly unimpressed.

Trowa and Wufei entered the tent in turn. Heero saw that Trowa had a strip of repair code applied to his neck and a soft hint of a smile perked the corner of his mouth.

“You,” Wufei said as he jabbed a finger at the User. “The gridbugs will be out soon. Do you want to try some target practice?”

Duo’s eyes widened with excitement and before Wufei could say anything further he was on his feet and at the door. “You had me at ‘gridbug’.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Channel your energy into the baton, and then flick it this way to activate the light sword.” Trowa stood back at a safe distance as Duo held his baton up. He raised his hand and flicked his wrist in a sideways motion, demonstrating how to turn the baton into a weapon.

“I can’t believe you’re lending him your baton.” Wufei stood next to Trowa, arms folded across his chest as he watched the clumsy User attempt to activate the light sword. Duo flicked his wrist and the baton went flying, hitting the ground a few feet away. “You’re supposed to hold onto it!” Wufei shouted out.

Trowa chuckled. “He won’t break it… Besides, we don’t have a spare baton laying around.”

Heero watched the trio with an amused smirk from a safe distance away. He had found a high stack of storage crates to perch himself on and was sitting with his legs dangling over the sides, leaning forward with his elbows rested on his knees. From his spot he could see everything going on below him; from the tension in Wufei’s shoulders to the frustrated frown on the User’s face as he scrambled across the ground to pick up the fallen baton.  
  
Duo held the baton aloft again and this time clutched onto it with a firm grip, bit the corner of his lip and focused as best he could. With a flick of his wrist Trowa’s purple, glowing light sword came to life in his hand. He bounced on his toes with excitement. “Shit, dude, this is like Mace Windu’s lightsaber! Wwwwuuurrrrhhnnnnnn, wwwuuurrrhhhnn!” He swung the sword in a high arc and began making strange noises to accompany the motion.  
  
Wufei took a few steps back from the wildly flailing User and scowled. “Hey, be careful!”  
  
“Who’s Mace Windu?” Trowa shared a look with Wufei and watched as his friend shrugged.

“I don’t understand half the stuff that comes out of his mouth.” Wufei yanked his baton from his side and channeled his energy. He flicked his wrist down and the baton transformed into a staff with bits of green glowing energy crawling along the sides. “Do you know how to fight, User?” 

Duo’s grin widened so far that it threatened to split his face in two. “Hey, guy, you’re lookin’ at the nerf sword champion of Dorm 3B, okay. Do _I_ know how to fight?” He got in a goofy stance and held Trowa’s sword tightly in both hands, holding it up parallel to his face like a Samurai. “Pssshhh, bring it.”

Heero shook his head and resisted the urge to laugh at the User’s ridiculous-looking battle stance. The way his feet were positioned his weight could easily be put off center. Sure enough Wufei had seen the flaw, and as they came together for a friendly spar it took the experienced fighter merely seconds to knock Duo onto his ass.

“Hahaha, okay you got lucky there,” Duo said with a groan as he pulled himself up to his feet. He tried another, less fantastical stance and grinned. “Come at me!”

Wufei snorted loudly, swung his staff expertly over his head, twisted his body and within seconds knocked Duo’s ankles out from under him, landing him on his back.  
  
“How the hell are you doing that?!” Duo yelled, more excitedly than angrily, and scrambled up to his feet again. “Dude, show me!”

Wufei smiled. “First of all, stop putting your feet all awkward like that. Here, like me.” He showed Duo a solid, wide stance with his feet.  
  
Heero’s gaze shifted from the pair sparring to Trowa, who was standing out of the way with his arms over his chest watching the proceedings with a handsome smirk. He slid off of the crates, landing lightly on his toes, and casually made his way over to stand beside him. He fell into a natural posture, unintentionally matching Trowa’s, and crossed his own arms over his chest, his dark blue eyes watching Duo and Wufei as they chattered back and forth about stances. “Purple your favorite color?” he asked with amusement as he eyed the glistening light sword in Duo’s hand. It wasn’t a color many people used on a weapon.

“It’s the color my energy channeled when I first received the baton.” Trowa answered without looking away from the two sparring programs. Despite the light blue glow of his bodylines, his output of energy always glowed purple. It was a rare color on the Grid and he often got teased for it. Trowa didn’t care. Elios thought the other programs were just jealous.

“I like it,” Heero replied honestly. “It’s different.” He glanced over at the taller program. “I am no good with the sword. Can you fight well with your disc?” He raised an eyebrow at him, the corner of his mouth activating a playful smirk.

Trowa hadn’t seen that expression on Heero before and the sheer handsomeness of the other caught him off guard for a second. If programs were able to breathe, he would have lost his breath at the sight. It caused his lips to turn up in a matching smirk and his left brow to arch questioningly. “I’m not half bad. You want to fight me?”

“Yeah, I do.” Heero’s grabbed his disc deftly from between his shoulder blades and walked to the opposite side of the clearing that Duo and Wufei were currently using as a sparring area. He waited for Trowa to meet him before pulling his left leg back and swiveling his body into a traditional disc wielding battle stance. He looked over the edge of his upraised blade, eyes glistening with amusement, and with a flick of his index finger activated it into battle mode. The black disc erupted with bright, cyan light and it began to hum loudly in his hand. “I’ll take it easy on you, since you’re injured,” he said flatly, though from his expression it was clearly intended to be a taunt.

“Thanks.” Trowa said sarcastically, pulling his disc off his back and getting into a matching stance. Even though they were just playing around, he was very much aware of the risks that came with disc battle. The weapon had a lethal sharp edge that could instantly derez an opponent.

It seemed Heero was letting him take the first move. Trowa pulled his arm back and then swung it forward with force, releasing the disc from his fingers with precise timing. The disc flew to the right, ricocheting off a tall obsidian rock before changing its course for Heero’s head.

As Trowa’s disc whizzed at him Heero managed to raise his own disc up to block its trajectory. The other program’s weapon bounced off of his disc with a sharp, loud crack. As Trowa’s returned to him Heero ran at him, ducking low, moving at amazing speed. Just as Trowa’s disc returned to his hand Heero was upon him, swinging and slicing his own brightly glowing disc at his arms and torso, disc slamming into disc, forcing Trowa to step back beneath his attacks.  
  
Duo and Wufei stopped their little lesson at the sound of light discs clanging and buzzing together, watching side by side from the sidelines with stunned expressions. Heero was going insane, at least it appeared that way. The shorter program was dancing around Trowa, barely visible behind the blurs and arcs of light his disc left in its wake. Trowa was on the defensive, blocking every quick attack Heero was throwing at him.

Trowa could barely get an attack move in, he was too busy using his disc as a shield. He figured he could tire Heero out if the other program kept up at this pace, and so he waited for the slightest lag in the other’s movement before he made his strike.

When it was clear that Heero’s energy wasn’t going anywhere Trowa tried another tactic. He blocked a strike aimed at the side of his face, grunting and grinding his teeth as his eyes locked onto his partner’s. While Heero was momentarily distracted Trowa slid his foot out and tripped the other.

Heero couldn’t believe that Trowa had used his gorgeous face as a weapon against him. He landed hard on his back and dropped his disc. He watched as it clattered across the dark ground just out of reach. Trowa had stopped attacking him, perhaps assuming that he had won, but Heero wasn’t ready to give him his victory. He wouldn’t win against him so easily. If Trowa wanted to play dirty, Heero would give it to him. As Trowa deactivated his disc Heero looked up at him from his laying position on the ground, grinned and swung his legs, knocking Trowa’s feet out from under him. As the taller program fell Heero rolled onto his side, pushed himself up to a crouch and launched himself at him, grappling him to the ground and knocking his disc out of his hand.

Duo snickered and gave Wufei a sideways glance before muttering, “those two will do anything to have an excuse to fuckin’ touch each other.”

Trowa hit the ground hard but didn’t let that stop him from retaliating. He wrapped his long legs around Heero’s waist and attempted to roll them over so he could take the dominant position. He twisted his hips and arched his back against the cool ground to help pivot his body, managing to get the shorter program on his side. Their hands fought against each other, each trying to grab hold of the other’s wrists and pin them.

Trowa was strong, but Heero was stubborn. He wasn’t going to let him win. Or, at least, he was going to go down fighting. Trowa’s muscular thighs were crushing him as he tried to pull out from beneath them, the other program’s long fingers fighting to pin his arms. He smiled at the challenge and, using his smaller stature, managed to wriggle his body to the side despite the hard grip of the other program’s legs, lunged his upper body against Trowa’s torso and knocked him away and onto his back. With the taller program’s long, constrictive legs still wrapped around his waist, he grabbed Trowa’s arms and tried to hold them over his head, pinning the long, lean torso beneath him with his own body. The sight of Trowa’s green eyes wide with surprise made him laugh. He hadn’t sparred with anyone before, aside from simulation dummies at D-FILE, and he was thoroughly enjoying the challenge of battling a real program.

With his wrists pinned above his head and the other’s body looming over him, Trowa realized he was in a rather submissive position and doubted he’d be able to roll Heero over again and regain dominance. He looked up at the other, lips parted as he contemplated defeat. Trowa hated defeat. His back flattened out against the ground and he could feel Heero’s body slide down against him. “You win.” He murmured, legs still firmly wrapped around his captor.

For some reason those words coming from the other program were the sexiest thing Heero had heard in his existence. His face grew uncomfortably warm and he suddenly became very aware of the compromising position they were in. Trowa’s legs were so tight around his waist that it forced his hips hard against him, and as his mind went to the place they were pressed together his hips moved forward involuntarily forcing his light suit clad semi-conscious arousal against the parted cleft of Trowa’s ass. His fingers twitched against the his wrists and his eyes shifted focus down to a mouth that he suddenly felt an urgent need to cover with his own. As he leaned forward to kiss him his hips shoved deeper into him, his shorter torso forcing Trowa’s to bend and curve beneath his. His lips were a hair’s breadth away from making contact-  
  
“GET A ROOM!”

Heero’s eyes snapped to his left and the chilliest of glares locked onto the User, who was watching from nearby with his hands on his hips, a smug look on his face. Wufei was in full face-palm.

Trowa’s back painfully arched off the hard ground while his hips pushed up into Heero’s. His voice was soft but forceful. “Heero...”  He ignored the User’s comment, already lost in his sudden lust-filled state. When their hips rubbed again Trowa moaned seductively. If his hands weren’t still restrained he would have taken hold of the other’s chin. “Kiss me…”

_Oh my fucking User…_ Heero gawked down at the program under him as the Runner’s normally stoic expression transformed into a lusty, sensual and almost pleading face. The face, the moan and the hard shift of Trowa’s hips sent his mind into a furious frenzy. He froze, unsure what to do. He knew he couldn’t deny the request, but the fact they had an audience was a distraction. He grit his teeth in frustration, growled through them and powered through his discomfort at being watched. He wanted to claim those lips, and he wasn’t going to let the antics of the User stop him.

He released Trowa’s arms and wrapped his own around the sides of the other program’s face so that his bicep and shoulder effectively blocked the rough, open-mouthed kiss he dropped onto the other’s waiting mouth. As their lips came in contact a shock of energy blasted up his spine, forcing a pins and needles sensation to cover his entire body.  
  
“OW! Shit! What the hell?!” Duo’s voice yelled irritably as he was being roughly dragged into Wufei’s yurt by the braid.

The same sensation was happening to Trowa’s body and it caused him to moan into Heero’s mouth. He felt his control quickly dissolve, unable to stop himself from reacting in a sultry way. His hips started to move in slow, tantalizing circular motions against Heero’s, brushing their covered arousals together. Now that his hands were free they wasted no time in attaching themselves to the other program’s back, fingers gently running up and down the lean frame until a hand came to rest at the base of Heero’s head, tugging on the soft hair there.

Heero’s eyes rolled back and fluttered as he warred with himself, trying to find the resolve within himself not to fuck the other program into the grid matter under them right there and then. Trowa had him wrapped around his finger, and he was trying desperately to grab hold of his self-control. It was slipping through his fingers, however, as he firmly and rather suggestively dug his hips into the other program’s.  
  
_Tonight…_ he tried to reason with and promise himself in an attempt to rein himself in. _I am going to fuck him tonight_ , he decided as he broke the seal of their mouths and pulled away from him, shoulders trembling. “Later…” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ll make you mine.”

 

* * *

 

“Hey, our target practice got cut short thanks to you two.” Duo was lounging in a chair, feet propped up on the table when a bemused Trowa and Heero entered the yurt.

Trowa ran a shaky hand through his hair and averted the User’s annoyed gaze. The realization of what had just happened out on the practice field made his face heat with embarrassment. _But I still want him…_ He decided putting some distance between them would help him cool down. Trowa moved to the other side of the room, giving Heero some space.

Heero scowled at the User but didn’t dignify his statement with a response. Instead he took a seat beside Wufei at the table and tried to appear interested in the pile of metal and wires that he was tinkering with. “Get that bit working yet?” Heero tried to change the subject.  
  
Wufei shrugged a shoulder and tossed down his screwdriver in frustration. “No, I’m starting to think it’s fried and irreparable.”

Duo was still smirking at Trowa. He raised an eyebrow at the fact that Trowa was blatantly avoiding Heero. He felt sort of bad for giving them a hard time, it was clear they were both struggling with something when it came to one another, but he didn’t know how else to deal with their awkwardness aside from to poke fun at it. He unhooked Trowa’s baton from his hip and held it out to him. “Thanks for lettin’ me borrow this. When I get back to the island I’m definitely going to try to replicate that thing. I could corner the market if I could make a real life lightsaber, ya know?”

“I _don’t_ know.” Trowa attached his baton back at his side. And took a seat next to Duo. He leaned over and grabbed one of the energy bars off the table. The fight with Heero had taken a lot out of him, and he wanted to make sure to regain some strength by hibernation time, especially if Heero kept his promise to ‘claim him’. His face heated again at the thought and he looked down at his lap while he ate quietly.

“Island?” Wufei looked over at Duo while he set the uncooperative bit down.

“Yeah, little floaty bit of land on a giant ocean of water! Well, okay, so it isn’t TECHNICALLY floating, but that’s more geology than I wanna talk about…” Duo blew his messy bangs from his eyes and smiled as he recalled home. “As much as I like hangin’ out with you cool bros, I really can’t wait to get home. Cool waves, hot sand, a margarita in my hand,” he said the last part in a cheerful, sing-song voice. “Yo, ‘Fei, you wanna come?”

“It’s ‘Wufei’… and I don’t think that is possible.” Wufei didn’t know what a margarita was, but the way the User voiced it made it sound alluring. “If your home is so great, why did you come here?” If Users lead such great lives, why visit the grid?

Trowa reached out and grabbed the discarded bit off the table, examining it. He wasn’t the best at fixing up scraps, but he was curious.

Duo shrugged and gave Wufei a devious look. “Why does anyone go anywhere new? To explore. To seek out the great unknown, right?” He gestured grandly with both hands and laughed. “Little did I know that fucking everything here is absolutely miserable. I shoulda went to Australia instead. I’d rather sleep with the dingos than stay here longer than I have to. I mean, how can any of you be happy living here? It’s not like you’re … ya know, free.”  
  
Heero stared at the User as he ranted on about User knows what.

Trowa looked up at Duo. They really weren’t free, were they? The concept of being completely free was foreign to him. He’d always belonged to someone else, his life’s directive programmed into him at creation. That’s how it was for all programs. That’s how it was for all life on the Grid… What would he do if his life was his own and he truly was free?

“You’re not making any sense,” Wufei said irritably as he rubbed the back of his head and narrowed his eyes at Duo. “I’m free. I was originally a system’s maintenance program, and because of Elios I quit and came to answer my own calling. It is possible to choose to be free here, but unfortunately if you do you are outcasted.”   
  
Heero frowned at this conversation as it began to mirror his recent thoughts concerning his purpose and his future. He ran his tongue across his lower lip, still catching the slightly sweet flavor left behind from Trowa’s mouth, and shrugged the tension out of his shoulders as he crossed his arms over his chest. What was he going to do now? He glanced over at Trowa as he toyed with the broken bit and wondered what would happen once he destroyed the Gate. It was clear that Trowa was dedicated to his Master Controller. Heero knew that derezzing Elios would be inevitable. He was, in essence, the Gate. What would happen to Trowa once Elios was gone? What would happen to this- the connection he was forming with the other program?

“Yeah, but that’s what I mean,” Duo said as he shifted his weight in his chair. “You guys don’t have real freedom. Sure, you can decide not to do the job you were made for, right? But what kinda life is living out here, in the dark by yourself, with nobody and nothin’ to do but doodlin’ shit you’ll never see?”  
  
Wufei snarled, clearly feeling attacked. “Then what would you suggest, mister Wikipedia?”

Duo grinned at the reference and scratched the side of his nose with his index finger. “I dunno, why don’t ya all come with me? Like… to the User world?”

“No way.” Wufei said sternly.

“I cannot leave Elios.” Trowa set the bit down and frowned at the thought of leaving his Master Controller. He couldn’t and wouldn’t do that. His entire life had been dedicated to protecting Elios and carrying out his wishes. Life without the other would be pointless. _Am I just thinking this because I am programed to do so?_  

Duo frowned at the seriousness in Trowa’s voice, and watched as Heero narrowed his eyes from across the table but said nothing. “Nobody is sayin’ you gotta leave anyone. He can come, too.”

“He can’t leave… The Gate can only be stabilized from within. Elios is stuck here and I must stay with him.” _He is the Gatekeeper_ , _he is part of the Gate._ Trowa’s voice was calm but his mind was racing at the thought of leaving the Grid.

“You might as well give up. Elios owns Trowa.” Wufei shot Duo a look that said not to press too much further on the topic, but he saw the curiosity bloom in the User’s violet eyes and had a feeling more questions were to follow.

Duo was surprised at the tension that was building in the room. The way Heero was looking at Trowa was making him feel like he struck a chord in the formerly glitchy program. “Hey, you look better than you did before,” he said as he projected his thoughts aloud. “You haven’t been stutterin’ or anything,” he added as he eyed Heero curiously.

Wufei was watching him with his keen, analytical eyes and Heero shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “I do feel better,” he admitted. It was true. He hadn’t felt this strong, clear-headed or energized since his compilation.  
  
“What was the problem before?” Wufei asked, his eyes locking with Heero’s.  
  
“He was all twitchy and shit,” Duo supplied. “Dude passed out in the jet.”

“He had a system overload.” Trowa pointed out. “Like me, he has trouble resetting.” He wondered why Duo kept bringing this up. 

Wufei looked from Heero to Trowa and back again. Something seemed fishy.

Heero didn’t enjoy being the topic of conversation and he quickly sought to change the subject, “When are we leaving from here? And how long before we make it to the Gate?”

“We can’t leave for two nights.” Trowa sighed. “We have to wait for the storms to pass. And then we have one more day's trek to the hideout. It won’t take long since we’ll be traveling with a light runner.”

Heero nodded at Trowa’s information while Duo grinned at them. “So what is the Gate supposed to be, anyway?” Duo asked, being nosy. “Is this Elios fella like the Wizard of Oz or something? Does he just wave his hands around and like a portal shows up? Or it is like that Stargate shit, with like a giant structure?”

Wufei’s eyebrow twitched.

“I don't have any idea what you are talking about.” As usual, Trowa wasn’t getting the references. He didn’t bother answering Duo’s question. He wasn’t going to give details out about the Gate. The tall program stretched his left leg out and leaned back in the chair. “Do you have any other questions or are you done?”

Duo sighed. “Man, you guys sure are grouchy today, I was just tryin’ to make small talk,” he said, his expression almost hurt. “Forget about it, huh? I’m beat. Where am I sleepin’, or are you gonna make me sleep outside in a doghouse or somethin’?”

“I only have two beds.” Wufei stated. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, but you’re sleeping with me tonight.” He pushed his chair back and stood up. “Trowa, you and Heero can take the spare room. But if the User starts acting strange, I’m sending him over to you.”  

Trowa nodded. “Understood.” He got up out of his seat as well, glad the Q&A session was over.

“Oh, God, don’t send me over there,” Duo said quickly as he watched Heero get up and wordlessly head for the door of the yurt. “I don’t wanna get in the middle of that action, someone’s bound to get hurt.” He chuckled to himself before wiggling his eyebrows at Wufei.  
  
“So, you wanna be the big spoon, or the little spoon?” he asked with a wink. Wufei groaned with irritation and cast a ‘you owe me big time’ glance at Trowa before pointing a finger at the User.  
  
“You will stay on your side of the bed, and you will not cross the pillow barrier, is that understood?” Wufei said coldly, his jaw set tightly. Duo snickered and shrugged a shoulder.  
  
“Yeah, well, we’ll see. I’ve been known to BREACH a few barriers…”

  
  
Heero was happy to get out of there, having avoided any more questions about his condition and his origins. He thought the User was too nosy for his own good. He followed Trowa out of the yurt and through the shadows to the one diagonally right of Wufei’s. It was clear that Trowa knew this tent well, and he watched as the taller program deftly unhitched the latches that kept the tent’s stiff flap closed without even looking at them before he slid inside.

The inside of the structure was similar to Wufei’s, but lacked the personal touch the other yurt had with images on the wall and Wufei’s personal effects strewn over surfaces.There was a twin-sized bed with dark grey sheets in the center of the room and a simple nightstand to the right of it. Two windows lay directly across, the view looking out onto the dark horizon of the Outlands.

Trowa walked over and started to untie the curtains. Once they were down he headed over to the docking station on the nightstand and took his identity disc off. His stomach was in knots now that he was alone with the other program, and he silently tried to still his anxiety. Flipping his disc on its side, Trowa selected his light suit code and with the flick of his finger disabled it for the evening. The dark second skin pixelated off his body.

As Trowa’s light suit gradually vanished from his body Heero saw the long, lean musculature of the other program’s fully exposed back and felt his fingertips itch with anticipation. He slowly approached him from behind, taking notice of the occasional faint bruising on the other program’s arms and the insides of his legs as he drew closer. He pressed both of his index fingers to the parallel, illuminated cyan lines on his shoulder blades and ran his fingertips lightly across the smooth flesh, watching as the other program’s tight muscles squirmed under his touch.  
  
“Don’t be nervous,” he said softly, noting the tension in Trowa’s shoulders.

The light touches on his back sent electric shivers down his spine. “I'm not.” Trowa lied, putting his disc on the dock and snapping it into place. He looked over his bare shoulder at Heero and noticed his slick light suit was still covering his body. “Are you leaving that on?”

“No,” Heero replied plainly. He pressed the entire front of his body against Trowa’s back, the light suit’s thin membrane forming a barrier between them. He reached back to unclip the identity disc from his back and reached around to offer it to Trowa. He saw the other program hesitate before taking it and turning it over in his hands. “You do it…” he murmured before dropping a light kiss against the warm flesh of Trowa’s bare shoulder.

Trowa closed his eyes when he felt those soft lips on his skin. He mentally prepared himself for what was to come, knowing fully well that he’d lose control and have to be ok with that. The blue lines on his body pulsated slowly in response to Heero’s closeness.

Trowa took a few moments to gather his thoughts, before opening his eyes again and flipping Heero’s disc over. He made quick work of finding his partner’s light suit code and disabling it. As the pixels moved down the shorter form, removing the final barrier from between their bodies, an indescribable sensation washed over Trowa’s system. He leaned his head back against Heero’s and slowly reached out to put the blue and black disc on the dock next to his own.

As his suit vanished from his body Heero felt Trowa’s skin warm against his own, and found himself leaning further into the taller body in front of him, his body melding to the angular lines of Trowa’s back, and the soft, firm curve of his tight ass. He shuddered involuntarily as a wave of golden energy swept over his body. His hands glided around Trowa’s sides to begin exploring the now exposed front of his torso. The rough, flat pads of his fingers rubbed across his stomach, raced up to his chest and found his taut, hard nipples. He ran his thumbs softly across their tips before pressing his palms hard against Trowa’s chest, pushing him backward into himself.  
  
“I’ve wanted this… ever since I saw you at that bar,” Heero admitted, his voice trembling. He was already hard, and his hips rocked his newly formed erection firmly against his body. He tilted his head and breathed into his ear, “tell me you want this.”

Trowa could feel Heero’s thick erection against his upper thigh and the curve of his ass. He grabbed one of the roaming hands from his chest and slowly moved it down his body, past his abdomen and down to his eager arousal. “I want this… I want you.”

Every fiber within him ached for Heero, every nerve begged for his attention. Trowa had never been on the receiving end during sex, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Heero fucking him hard and rough, pushing in to the hilt and truly claiming him as his own. He wanted his partner to mark him up. It was like his body automatically became submissive whenever the other touched him and it was maddening. This was dangerous. He was becoming distracted again…

Trowa pushed the nagging voice to the back of his head, not caring anymore if this was a distraction. He needed this, he’d never felt this way before. It wouldn’t be fair to not explore these feelings, this connection with Heero. And right now he wanted to be fucked so badly that every logical thought in his mind was silenced.

Heero took Trowa’s admission as words of permission, and now he would no longer hesitate to do as he pleased. His hand grasped the other program’s arousal with firm pressure and he gave it a slow, careful caress. He felt it grow and harden against his palm, it’s length curving up towards Trowa’s navel. Heero pulled Trowa into his own body, his lips pressing softly against his ear before traveling down the side of his neck, pressing warm kisses around the repair code patch. The hand on Trowa’s chest slid up his to neck and grabbed hold of his chin, continuing to pull him backwards until the other program’s entire weight rested against him, his long and lean back arched and flexed back to allow him access to his handsome mouth. He kissed him roughly as he continued his slow exploration of his cock with his nimble fingers.

 _I'm starting to lose control, already._ Trowa moaned against the rough kiss and bucked his hips forward, creating sweet friction with the warm fingers wrapped around his shaft. He brought a hand back behind his body to grasp Heero’s firm ass and gave it a hard squeeze. Trowa pushed his tongue into his partner’s inviting mouth, coxing Heero’s out to play.

“Hmmmnnnn….” Heero groaned into Trowa’s mouth as his partner’s tongue teased his lips. He lapped his own tongue against the intruder, the corners of his mouth perking playfully at the sound of the other program’s frustrated moans. He sparred Trowa’s tongue, forcing it back into it’s owner’s mouth, and abruptly broke their kiss.

“Bed,” he managed through a tight throat. He swiveled both their bodies around and pushed the other program roughly over and onto the bed, knelt beside it and pinned his new lover’s hips down to keep him from moving. He used the palm of his free hand to slide up the back of Trowa’s thigh, his eyes studying the embedded cyan light lines as they went up his legs, tracing their path. He leaned down and began to lick straight edge of the line that plunged down Trowa’s back with the tip of his tongue, following it’s path across the dips at the small of his back and downward, slowly dragging across the fine curve of his ass.

“Heero…” Trowa shuddered, digging his hands into the sheets as the hot tongue ran along his skin, awakening every nerve it massaged. He wanted so badly to touch the other, to explore his body and burn every detail into his mind. His fingers pulled at the soft fabric, nails scratching along each thread impatiently. “Let me touch you. Let me look at you.” Trowa commanded. Up to this point, Heero had been getting a lovely view of his backside. Trowa desperately wanted to turn around so his eyes could drink in the sight of that perfectly compact body. His lips longed to touch every inch of Heero’s flesh.

It occurred to Heero that until he had met Trowa nobody had ever called him by his name. D-FILE only referred to him by his ID code. The sound of his name purred so seductively by the other program finalized his arousal. He would do anything for him, follow any command, as long as he called him by name.

The thought of D-FILE brought his directive back to the forefront of his thoughts. It sobered him for a moment, overriding the wash of intense and confusing feelings he had been experiencing since their initial meeting.

If he did this now, would he be going against his directive? Was this just another way for him to get Trowa to do as he pleased? It was now clear that he had complete control over the Runner, and the thought was unsettling. For the first time he was starting to feel guilty for using him.

 _Trowa is the Runner, he’s not my target,_ Heero reminded himself. _What I am about to do here has nothing to do with my directive,_ he reasoned. This was personal. This wasn’t work. He was going to finally allow himself to have personal connections, despite the warnings by his creators not to. Those warnings were not orders, and they hadn’t been encoded into him. He was free to do as he pleased.

He pushed himself to a stand and carefully grasped Trowa’s shoulder to roll him onto his back, being careful not to come in contact with any of the residual damage left behind from their encounter with the Outlanders. After the taller program’s body was situated he crawled on his hands and knees up the length of him until they were nose to nose. The closeness forced the light lines that traced his torso to begin to glow brighter, as if illuminated by the very presence of the other program. His erection dragged against Trowa’s stomach as he settled over him.  
  
“Okay, then. Touch me,” Heero replied.

They could rush this or they could take the rare opportunity to fully enjoy their alone time. Trowa’s body ached to be fucked, but he wanted to slow down and savor this. He brought his hands up to Heero’s shoulders and ran them down his chest and torso, noticing how the bright bodylines reacted. He studied them closely, fingers and eyes trailing over each glowing mark. And then it suddenly dawned on him. His light lines perfectly mirrored Heero’s. “We have the same pattern.”

Heero’s eyebrow raised at the statement and his eyes snapped down to inspect Trowa’s torso, and then his own. He was right. The shining lines of cyan light across their arms, torsos and legs were mirror images, perfectly aligned.  
  
“How is this possible?” he murmured, his confusion dripping from his voice. Light lines were individual signatures, much like a fingerprint. It was unheard of to have two programs with the same pattern. Unless… his head began to ache before he could completely form the thought. His eyes squinted against the sharp stab of pain that formed behind his eyes. “It feels like there is something missing. Something else… “ he knew he wasn’t making any sense.

Trowa felt it too, unable to explain the matching light lines or the intense feelings for one another. He kept telling himself that he’d talk to Elios. Maybe Elios would know what was going on. He moved his warm hands down to Heero’s hips and gave them a light squeeze. “It’s like we’re the same… but different. My body knows you, but my mind doesn’t.”

Trowa had described it perfectly. Heero had been immediately drawn to the other program from the moment he had seen him. Having no prior experience with lust or physical attraction to that degree, Heero had assumed that the magnetism between them had been only that. Now he knew better. Clearly there was more. He could feel his anxiety, his pain, and sense his energy when he was near. The matching lines on their bodies, while surprising, weren’t really that shocking a revelation. It was just another clue among a growing list of shared peculiarities.

Heero wanted answers, but the need for them wasn’t urgent. Regardless of the reasons why - he still wanted Trowa for himself. The fact that they were perfectly matched only fueled this need.  
  
“Who is Elios to you?” he asked suddenly. He hadn’t meant to bring it up now, but if he was going to commit himself to exploring Trowa, he wanted to know what the other’s connections were. It was clear that the Runner was loyal to his master, but how deep did that commitment run?  “What… is he to you?” Heero rephrased.

Their bodies were so close that he couldn’t fight the sucking, gravitational pull Trowa’s being had on him. He dropped the length of his body against the lean, muscular form beneath him, his own weight sinking the firm muscles and taut sinew deeply into the bed. The now familiar tingling warmth of the other’s energy began to seep through his skin and spread across his body.

“He’s my Master Controller. I live to protect and serve him.” Trowa looked up at the other, reciting the words that had been programed into him. He watched Heero’s expression sour, and knew the other wasn’t pleased with that vague answer.

Trowa ran his fingertips up Heero’s arm and bit his bottom lip before giving it another try. “My relationship with Elios is complicated. I serve him… in any way that he wants.” He wasn’t sure if that was the answer Heero was looking for. “He’s very special to me. But we’re not… committed.”

Heero’s expression had indeed soured, but not for the reasons Trowa may have assumed. The fact that Trowa was so attached to the Gatekeeper was posing a complication that he hadn’t anticipated. If he allowed himself to care for Trowa, he knew that he would have to inevitably hurt him. His directive involved him killing someone important to him.

 _This is why they told me not to form attachments,_ Heero thought with frustration. For a moment he considered stopping this now before it got any more complicated. _Is this worth the trouble?_ His eyes locked with Trowa’s. _Is HE worth the trouble?_ He felt a sharp ache banging at the inside of his ribcage, and to his surprise the soothing tingle that emanated from Trowa’s body became more intense. It felt like an invisible hand was running over his chest, massaging the pain away.

_I need him. He’s worth everything._

His wants and needs overrode the questions stirring up his confusion. He decided that for once in his existence he was going to be selfish and do as he wanted. He didn’t want to think about the risks anymore. He didn’t want to consider the consequences.  
  
“You’re very loyal,” he murmured, his face closing the gap between them to cover Trowa’s tense lips with his own. _But I’ll make you loyal to me…_

Fingers tangled in the messy brown locks at the back of Heero’s head as Trowa deepened the kiss, opening his mouth obediently and letting his partner’s tongue slide in to spar with his own. His entire body seemed to welcome the shorter frame laying on top, arms and legs wrapping tightly around Heero and pulling him as close as he could. The tingling sensation that grew the longer they touched helped relax his nerves, and soon Trowa was kissing and touching his partner eagerly. He hooked his ankles over Heero’s lower back and leveraged himself against the mattress before pushing up to rub their hips together in a slow, repetitive motion.   

Trowa was losing his sense of control again, letting himself go as the warm feeling spread through his body like a wildfire. Elios quickly slipped from his mind and all he could think about was the mysterious program hovering over him. Heero filled his senses and commanded his full attention. Being close to the other was like a drug, and Trowa was addicted.

_Is this what love feels like? Am I… in love?_

Every caress and sensuous rocking motion up into his body only strengthened Heero’s resolve. He had never felt this aroused in his existence, and he wanted nothing more than to be as close as possible to this other program. He returned Trowa’s grinding of hips with his own rough push, rubbing his now searing hot arousal against his, firmly signalling to him in a lusty pantomime just what he intended to to do him. He steadied his body with a hand planted into the mattress beside Trowa’s head while the other explored and mapped every dent, curve and perfect line of the other program’s body.  
  
His tongue slid over the top of Trowa’s, teasing and encouraging him to come deeper into his own mouth. He closed his eyes, no longer able to look at his new partner. There was something reflecting in Trowa’s eyes just then that made him feel like the other was seeing right through him. He didn’t want him to see what was really inside. He didn’t want him to know how dishonest he was.  
  
He broke their kiss with a gasp and hung his head to avoid his gaze, his dark hair blocking his expression. “Please…” he gasped, his voice low and hoarse. “Let me feel you … from inside.”

Trowa reached up and ran his knuckles gently down Heero’s cheek, looking at him with a smirk on his swollen lips. “I’ve never bottomed before.” He returned his hips to the mattress and spread his legs out wide as he spoke, letting Heero’s arousal settle between his thighs. “Are you sure you can handle me?”

Heero felt him shifting beneath him, saw his legs prop open and found himself staring down at the pink, lush smirk that had illuminated Trowa’s mouth. His body was tense, his shoulders quivering with anticipation. _Was he serious? But didn’t he say…_

So his relationship with Elios didn’t include him being dominated in this way?  
  
“I… this is my first time with all of this,” Heero replied, his voice hesitant. He slid his hand down to cup Trowa’s ass with a firm grip, is index finger seeking the place he would enter him. He found it quickly and slowly forced the tip of his finger against him, slowly, excruciatingly breaking the tight barrier. “I’ll try my best,” he murmured, his dark blue eyes locking with his. The cyan lines on his body began to pulse and glow brightly, flickering and pulsing with his building anticipation. “You’re… so tight. Tell me if I’m hurting you,” he added. “Unless… you _want_ me to hurt you.”

Trowa closed his eyes and tried to relax his muscles as Heero’s finger intimately explored the inside of his body. He ran his trembling hand up and down the other’s spin and moaned. “Hurt me… Don’t hold back.” It felt like they had waited so long for this moment. Trowa wanted Heero to give it his all and do as he pleased with his body.

Heero paused in his insertion at the mention of hurting him, and something within him balked at the idea. _I could never hurt you…_ his mind supplied automatically. He scrunched his nose in confusion, wondering what had prompted that thought. It felt as if there was an echo in his mind, instructing him, informing him and prompting him on what to do.

He realized his finger was halfway in Trowa’s body, feeling the intense tightness and heat of the other program. How did he even know to do this? It was like his body moved on it’s own.

 _Just… I don’t want to think anymore,_ he scolded himself. Why was he so self-aware around him? Trowa’s moans, his tensing, his hand on his spine seemed to aid in his direction. He twisted his finger inside him slowly, feeling the other program’s body respond by gradually loosening. He started adding his second finger, slipping it slowly to accompany the first, pausing to plant encouraging kisses along Trowa’s slightly bruised jaw as he waited for him to become accustomed to the feeling. His own arousal, impatient and throbbing, rubbed slowly against the hard muscle of his inner thigh.  
  
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered against his skin, his mind racing, repeating the sentiment over and over again. “To hurt you is to hurt myself,” he reminded him.

Trowa tilt his head back on the sheets, exposing his neck and jawline to Heero’s fevered kisses. He let out a soft moan as the fingers moved gently inside of him, his hips starting to rock upwards to meet them. “I think I’m ready for you…”

Heero was more than ready. Trowa’s voice and the lilt of his moaning was beginning to put him into a frenzy. His entire body was hot and aching with tension. He carefully removed his fingers and grabbed the insides of Trowa’s thighs with both palms, pushing his legs further apart and up to tilt his pelvis at a more accessible angle, and held him there, marveling at how unbelievably flexible his body was.

 _He’s perfect,_ the thought accompanied the fact that no matter what compromising or awkward position he happened to force Trowa’s body into, he still looked stunning, composed, and uncannily seductive. His stomach was curled, his impressive and thick erection lying flushed and frustrated against the creases of his abdomen. He was the most beautiful thing Heero had ever seen. Trowa’s eyes were half-lidded, lips parted and bright emerald eyes were locked onto him while his sleek eyebrow raised slightly, waiting for him to act.  
  
He couldn’t make him wait any longer. He reverently guided his own aching arousal down against the upraised curve of his ass and entered his prepared body, forcing his eager erection down into his enticing heat with a steady thrust until he was buried deeply inside him.

He couldn’t move. His fingers clenched hard against the backs of Trowa’s thighs as his body tried to adjust to the almost painful tightness and searing heat of the other program’s body. The lines on Heero’s body were blinking and pulsating in a wild series of flashes and flickers, and his shoulders trembled as a shock wave coursed through his torso, and sharp, stabbing pains erupted across his chest. It was like he had a raging thunderstorm brewing within him.

He bit his lower lip and moaned, eyes staring down at the point where they were so intimately connected as if in disbelief. He had never felt this kind of pleasure before, and yet everything about this exchange felt strangely familiar. It was like a dream. He frantically looked up at Trowa, caught his gaze and felt as if his new lover shared the same thought.

He leaned hard against his body, clutched his thighs to keep them pushed up and widely parted, and started the arduous task of _showing_ Trowa just how he felt about him.

The feeling of being stretched and completely filled overwhelmed all of his senses, and at first Trowa couldn’t decipher between the pain and the pleasure. He grunted at the intrusion and pushed the side of his face against the sheets, hands dropping to the mattress with a thud as he clenched and unclenched them into fists. His knees shook and he struggled to keep his legs wrapped around Heero’s waist while the other pushed firmly into his body over and over again.  

Slowly, with each powerful thrust, the pain ebbed away and an intense wave of pleasure coursed through his veins, rushing straight to his fully aroused cock. Trowa threw his head back and cried out loudly, unable to control himself. The sensation of flesh sliding against flesh was electric and hot as Heero’s near-bruising grip firmly held his thighs apart so he could slam into him with accelerating speed.

_This is what it feels like to be claimed… I don’t want it to stop._

Heero’s body was on fire. He no longer had any doubts, any hesitation about what he was doing. His previous concerns were buried deep beneath the roiling waves of intense, electric pleasure that now consumed him.

Each thrust into the tense, quivering body under him forced Trowa’s voice from his throat. Its gradual crescendo only served to fuel Heero’s actions, spurring him on, making him want more of it. It wasn’t enough. Just _seeing_ him and feeling him from inside wasn’t completely satisfying him. He wanted more. He needed to kiss him, bite him, taste him. He lunged forward and devoured his mouth, mixing his lover’s moans with his own, continuing his steady, firm rhythm as he continued to glide in and out, hips moving on their own accord. Trowa’s arousal was pinned against his stomach, he could feel it’s heat nudge against his stomach. He propped himself up with his left hand and plunged his right between their twisting, writhing bodies to grasp his hard length with a firm but gentle grip. He began stroking him slowly at first before increasing his attentions until his manipulations perfectly matched each inward thrust.  
  
Heero was incredibly close to climax. He could feel his thoughts beginning to clarify, his mind began race. He felt like he was overclocked, hyperaware of every detail around them. The cool air in the yurt against his back, the comforting warmth of Trowa’s body stretched out beneath his own. The pulse of pleasure with each pump into the tightness of the program under him. The faint twitch and throb of Trowa’s cock in his hand. The vibrations of Trowa’s moans as they settled into his own throat. He was processing it all.

Each moan was swallowed up by the heated kiss until Heero’s wet mouth pulled away and moved to Trowa’s neck, attaching itself with a sharp bite. Trowa’s lips, red and swollen from their assault, were no longer being held captive. They parted to let out a series of loud whimpers and frenzied cries of ecstasy, piercing the cool night air.

“Unnn…UUH! AH!”

His motions were frantic as his hands clawed at Heero’s back and shoulders, the muscles in his legs, ass, and abdomen were starting to tighten and tremble. It felt like they were elastic bands being tugged in the same direction, towards his core. He whimpered as the build of anxiety made his entire body shake with anticipation for release. The tip of Heero’s engorged cock suddenly hit a spot within that sent Trowa’s body jolting off the sheets, electricity crackling against his skin. The darkness behind his eyelids exploded with bright neon light, every thrust, and every pump of the hand setting off an explosion of stars.

Trowa was practically jumping from the bed as he came in contact with a spot deep within him. Each thrust forced his lover to jolt, cry out and inch away from him across the mattress. He could feel small, pinching shocks exploding between their bodies as built up static electricity began to discharge against both their skins.  
  
As Trowa jumped with each thrust Heero lost contact, so he grabbed his lover roughly by the shoulders and, without breaking their connection, yanked him up to quickly reposition him straddling his waist. He wrapped his arms tightly around his body and pinned him against his torso to keep him from recoiling as he continued to enter him as deeply as he could, seeking the spot within him that made his lover’s voice jump from his throat so beautifully.  
  
He was losing control. He hugged onto him as tightly as he could, trapping Trowa’s cock between their bodies, and buried his face against his collarbone, lips brushing his chest, moaning softly through gritted teeth. He couldn’t hold back any longer. His eyes burned, his muscles ached, and his spine tingled as electricity zapped up and down his back, illuminating his normally cyan body lines with white, hot light.  
  
“Tr… trowa, I’m… “ he didn’t get a chance to finish that sentiment. He crushed him within his arms and buried his face in his chest, slammed his hips up into him and groaned. His thoughts cleared, his previous worries and concerns deleted as he lapsed into a hard reset.

Trowa’s body fell limp as he followed his partner into a hard reset. While his mind cleared and his energy reserves started to fuel up, his system wasn’t used to this and it took him a second to regain consciousness. His head rolled forward, lying against Heero’s shoulder. Sticky warm ejaculation slid down his thighs and Trowa made no move to get off Heero’s lap. His eyes were closed and his swollen lips parted to say something, but nothing came out.

Heero felt reborn. It was the only way he could describe it. Despite the fatigue from their impassioned exchange he felt completely renewed, as if his internal slate had been completely wiped clean. He couldn’t remember a time when he felt this good.  
  
His palms slid down Trowa’s back, his eyes closed and he nuzzled the slight indentation in the center of his chest, reveling in the warmth he felt there. He was happy. He felt that positivity without any guilt. He didn’t care, this was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to him. Trowa was the most amazing program he had ever met. He pulled him closer, tightening his arms around his waist and tilted his head to kiss his jaw, his cheek, his shoulder.  
  
“You’re amazing,” he whispered.

Trowa blinked and lifted his head, suddenly snapping out of it. He looked down at his new lover, eyes wide as he let the warmth spread into his body. “What just happened?” His nerves still tingled and he noticed that his system was feeling better than it ever had, fully alert and functioning smoothly.

“I don’t know,” Heero admitted with a quiet murmur, his eyes tilting up to regard him with deep affection. “I think I reset. Do you feel … clearer?” He didn’t know how else to put it.

Trowa leaned in to press their foreheads together. “Yes…” He felt more connected to the other program in a way he couldn’t explain. There was a second digital pulse beating within his body, and it quickly synced up with his own, matching its rhythm perfectly like they were one. A smile spread on his lips and for the first time in a long time he felt happy and content.

Trowa had the most stunning smile Heero had ever seen. His eyes widened at the sight of it, drinking the image in and searing it into his memory. He lifted a hand to caress the side of his face, ran his fingers through his hair to move his bangs from his eyes so he could really look at him.  
  
“You’re mine… “ he said, his lips betraying him and speaking his thoughts aloud.

Trowa laughed and pressed their lips together in a quick kiss. “Maybe...”  His hand snuck down and stole one of Heero’s from off his hips, entwining their fingers together. “We’ll see.” His tone was teasing, but deep down Trowa knew that yes, he belonged to the other. There was no denying it anymore.

Heero frowned against the kiss and stared at him with a stern expression. He gripped his hand with his own. “You laugh… but I’m serious…” the corner of his mouth perked into a half-smile and he playfully grabbed Trowa’s hips, pinned him against his body to keep him from moving and tipped onto his side, his softening erection still inside him. He laughed and nudged his hips against him, his cock slipping deeply into his cum slick insides. “You can deny me all you want,” thrust, nudge. “But now I’ve claimed you.”

“You better stop before you start me up again.” Trowa bit back a moan and kept his eyes focused on the dark prussian blue ones in front of him. “We should … hibernate…” The smallest of moans escaped as Heero thrust into him again.

“When I get you back to Aether… what will you do? Will you stay?” Trowa’s expression was serious this time.

Heero frowned and resisted the urge to bite his lip at the question as he was suddenly reminded of his directive. For a moment he wanted to tell him everything. Tell him his directive, why he was created, what he was planning to do. Maybe he could run away with him after he destroyed the Gate?

… no.  He answered his own question. Trowa had more than once expressed his loyalty to Elios. He couldn’t tell him. He knew Trowa would try and stop him. _What am I going to do…_  
  
“Do you want me to stay?” he asked, avoiding his gaze.

Trowa hooked his finger under Heero’s chin and lifted it gently so he could look in the other’s eyes once again. “Yes. You can… stay with me. With Elios.” He searched those blue eyes, wondering what Heero was thinking. It was clear something was on his mind. “Stay with me…”

“We’ll see,” Heero repeated Trowa’s previous statement back to him and resisted the urge to frown at the sight of the other program’s curious gaze. What little peace and emptiness of thought he had experienced right after his reset was now beginning to fill with memories of his directive. _I can’t lie to him and say yes,_ he thought sadly. _Because it won’t be possible. Not after I destroy the Gate._  
  
He carefully disengaged himself from Trowa’s body and when the other gave him a concerned look he leaned in to kiss his downturned mouth reassuringly. “Thank you for helping me. I’ve never had a friend before…” he confided, his voice forced flat. “Thank you.”

“Yea. No problem.” Trowa noticed the change in Heero’s mood. _Did I do something wrong? Maybe I misunderstood his intentions…_ He stretched his long body out on his side of the bed, giving the other some space. “We should hibernate.” Grabbing one of the pillows, Trowa pushed it under his head and closed his eyes.

Heero frowned as Trowa pulled away from him, but didn’t try to stop him. He felt the familiar guilt and inner turmoil that accompanied any positivity about the other program slowly seeping into his thoughts, forcing its way into any optimism he had for his future.  
  
_I’m a weapon_ , he reminded himself. _I need to stop playing games. Pretending like I can have any of this._ He didn’t say anything else, instead turned to face away from him on his side and curled his body as he grabbed the covers and pulled them up to his shoulder. He closed his eyes and tried to hibernate, but his mind was racing, his chest was throbbing. _Don’t touch him. You’re just leading him on._ He felt like shit.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Trowa awoke to the feeling of arms wrapped around his body. He opened his eyes and blinked away his blurry vision, focusing on the peacefully sleeping features of his bedmate. _Heero._ Sometime during the night their bodies had migrated towards one another, just like they had done the previous nights. Trowa frowned, remembering how their night had ended, with Heero’s sudden mood change and the distance they’d put between one another on the narrow mattress.

He gently untangled his body from Heero’s and sat up, slipping out of bed to quietly grab his disc from the dock. Flipping it on its side, he decided to give the light suit a rest for the day, and instead selected his black pants and jacket. They appeared on the chair next to the bed and Trowa quickly got dressed before heading out of their private Yurt and to the main one in the center of all the tents.

 

* * *

 

Duo looked up from eating a bowl of oatmeal, his wide violet-colored eyes locking onto Trowa as he entered. He raised an eyebrow at him, surprised to see that he was alone. Duo had assumed that after their kinky sparring match the day before, the two would be forever joined at the hip.

  
“Huh,” Duo said as he spooned his food into his mouth, giving it a couple chews before loudly gulping it down. “Where’s glitchy?”  
  
Wufei was seated across from Duo, tediously picking and poking at another half-assembled project. He gave Trowa a once over, nodded to him in greeting and tipped his head at a tray of tea and star-shaped biscuits on the center of the table but said nothing.

“Hibernating.” Trowa walked over to the table and poured himself some tea. He sat down and held the warm cup in his hands, avoiding eye contact with the other two. Last night had left him confused and unsure of things. He couldn’t figure out how they’d gone from so happy and content to distant, and he kept playing the scenes over and over in his head, searching for where he’d messed up. He slowly brought the cup to his lips and took a sip, feeling the familiar fingers of his residual melancholy state reach out to hold him.

“Heh, I’m surprised you’re up this early, considerin’ the WORK ya’ll were doin’ all fuckin’ night,” Duo teased with a side grin as he pushed his spoon around in his oatmeal. “I told Wufei here that we could out-scream you, but he wouldn’t let me try…”  
  
Wufei shot a glare at Duo across the table. “Stop. Just, stop.”  
  
“I mean, he did let me cuddle him…” Duo added with a smirk. Wufei scowled.  
  
“I didn’t LET you do anything,” he corrected him. Duo sighed loudly.  
  
“Yeah, well, all you guys are so distant ‘an cold I thought you could use a nice hug,” he teased. “Trowa, you want a hug? You’re lookin’ a little down, bud. You okay?”

“I’m okay.” Trowa finally looked up at the User. “Sorry you had to hear that last night.” In his lust-ridden haze, he’d completely forgot the other programs hibernating just one yurt away. _Distracted, yet again…_

 

* * *

 

Heero woke to find himself alone. _This is how I need to be,_ he thought morosely. _I can’t let myself be diverted, distracted, hesitant about my directive._ He ran his hand through his hair and got up from the bed, applied his light suit to his body with his disc and clipped it to his back.  
  
His body felt great. His mind was sharp. He hadn’t felt this well in a long time, and he knew now for certain it was Trowa he had to thank for all of it. He glanced back at the bed, it’s blankets askew, and felt the now ever present twinge of guilt ping against the inside of his chest before ducking out of the yurt to cross the patch of grid matter to the one they had met in the day before. He pause in front of the door-flap and hear Trowa’s voice say something inside. He couldn’t make out what he said.  
  
_I’m doing the right thing,_ he tried to tell himself. _This is the right way. I can’t lead him on anymore. I have to think about my directive. It was just one night. I needed a reset. He gave it to me._

He slipped into the yurt. As he did he felt Duo and Wufei’s eyes on him. He spotted Trowa seated directly in front of him, his back facing him. His fingers twitched.  
  
“Heh, finally got your lazy code up out of bed, huh? Still tired, right?” Duo said with a wicked grin as Heero crossed the yurt towards them.  
  
“No,” Heero replied plainly. “I feel ... “ he felt fantastic. Amazing. Energized. “Fine.”  
  
He started to walk away from Trowa, around the table but stopped. It was like his body refused to move. He felt as if there was a magnet pulling at his side, tugging him closer to the other program. He bit the inside of his lip, sighed, glanced down at Trowa. The other program was frowning down into his tea, avoiding looking at him.

 _This is wrong._ Every bit of his code was chanting that sentiment. _This is wrong…_

 _Let me act on my emotions,_ he pleaded with himself. It felt like he had two halves warring in his mind. He couldn’t tell which one was winning. _He looks miserable…_

 _Fuck it._ Something snapped, and he felt the resistant force inside him submit to a powerful, warm, tingling sensation. He slid closer to Trowa, pressed his hand on his shoulder and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Good morning,” he murmured softly so only Trowa could hear him before he stood up and began pouring himself a cup of tea.  
  
Wufei was watching them with a curious expression. Duo was grinning like an idiot, spooning his breakfast into his overstuffed mouth.

“Morning…” Trowa murmured back, confusion running across his face for a split second before his usual stoic mask slid over his features. His voice felt raw from all the moaning and screaming last night, and the spot on his cheek tingled from the kiss, his body once again reacting to Heero’s nearness. He brought the cup to his lips and took another sip, eyes still avoiding contact with anyone.

“So what are we doin’ today?” Duo asked, trying to take the attention from Trowa, who clearly was upset about something. He logged that little tidbit away, deciding that he would ask him about it later. Not that he expected an answer. Trowa was pretty tight-lipped about his personal stuff, but it was clear that something had happened last night, something aside from Heero pounding the living snot out of the guy.  
  
Wufei stood up and cast a steady, cool glance at Heero before picking up the pile of broken pieces he was working on to put on a side table out of the way. “Since you have a day left, I thought I would take you out to the wastelands. There are a few flat areas we use as a makeshift game grid, maybe we can have a couple of races to pass the time?”

Duo jumped to his feet at the mention of ‘race’, splattering oatmeal on the table in front of him. “L-light cycles?!” His face was wide open with excitement. “I can ride my own? Like I don’t have to ride bitch?”

Wufei chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course, you can use a spare one I have lying around. It’s old, but…”

Duo shook his arms and head to silence him. “No, no, I don’t care. I’ll take anything!” He padded away from the table, following Wufei to the door. “Seriously, I don’t care!”  
  
“Okay, then,” Wufei said with a loud sigh. Both the program and User dipped out the door.  
  
Heero saw Trowa shift in his seat as if he were about to leave as well. Still standing beside him with warm cup of tea in one hand he reached out and pressed a hand on Trowa’s shoulder. “Please don’t leave yet. We need to talk…” He saw Trowa’s shoulders stiffen beneath his hands, heard the soft sigh escape his lips. He didn’t get up. Heero thought it was a good sign.  
  
“I’m sorry. About last night. I don’t want you to think that I don’t care about you. That … that I didn’t enjoy what happened. It’s just….” he set his teacup down and turned to face him, his hand still on his shoulder. “There are things about me that...” _how do I tell him?_ His mind was screaming at him not to say anything else. “I have a complicated past, and when you mentioned Elios, it sort of put me off.” That was a half-truth, but he wasn’t lying. “I don’t know what this is, or why you do this to me, but I need you.”

“Why would the mention of Elios put you off?” Trowa asked, frowning. He stared straight ahead at his empty teacup on the table, eyes traveling along the curve of the white handle. “And I thought you didn’t remember your past.” _What’s so complicated about it?_ He propped his forearms on his thighs and leaned forward, hands dangling in the gap between his parted legs. His fingers itched to hold something, a nervous twitch of his.

Heero’s jaw dropped. He had said too much. _Walk away, just walk away from this,_ his mind was supplying frantically. “I’m jealous,” he blurted, was it a half-truth? He had no idea. The admission made him visibly flinch. _I’m lying to him. I just need to stop_.

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t get himself to move, to walk away. “Of how you spoke about him. How important he is to you, I guess.” His hands opened and closed, clenching nervously. “I don’t remember anything. That’s what makes this whole thing complicated. I don’t know who I am,” he felt his own chest tighten at the statement. It wasn’t a lie. He meant it. He had been struggling with his on identity ever since he was created. His hand automatically lifted to drape over his own shoulder, his fingers feeling the slight indentation of his large scar through the fabric of his black, clingy light suit. “I’ve been lost for a long time, and I don’t know where I’m going after this. I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”

“You keep saying you need me. My place is with Elios and Aether.” Trowa finally looked up at the other, eyes dark and stormy. “You’ve apparently been looking for the Runner for a long time so you can get back to Aether. And now that you’ve found me, you tell me you don’t know where you are going.” He knew the other program was hiding something from him, he’d suspected it from the start and now that feeling was confirmed. Anxiety knotted in the pit of his stomach. _Something isn’t right._

Here he was offering the lonely and lost program a place to go, and yet Heero hesitated. Trowa felt like an idiot for letting this go as far as it had. His mind and emotions were a mess, and it was Heero’s fault. _No, it’s my own fault. Elios is going to be so disappointed in me..._ He brought his hands up and rest his face against his palms, holding back a frustrated groan. _What have I done… What a mess…_

“You’re right. I apologize,” Heero replied plainly. Lamely. His shoulders tensed as Trowa buried his face in his hands. _What am I doing? Why am I complicating things like this. I should have just shut my fucking mouth and smiled and nodded when he asked me to stay with him._ His eyes narrowed and he rubbed the back of his neck in an attempt to alleviate the tension that had built up there.

He could feel Trowa’s confusion, like a pressure in his own stomach. It was disconcerting. The longer he stood there, the more intense the feeling grew. “I’m…” _no, you can’t tell him anything else._ “There are things about me, I can’t tell you. Not right now.” _Shit._ “But I will. If you can be patient, and try to understand.”

 _I don’t owe this guy anything. What am I doing?_ Heero bit his lower lip and watched Trowa’s hands over his face. He wanted to touch him, but he was afraid that if he reached out and made contact the other program would see through him. He was already seeing enough as it was.

When everything that came out of Heero’s mouth seemed contradictory it was hard for Trowa to understand. He removed his hands from his face and straightened up in the chair, his face returning to its typical bored expression. He needed to focus on his responsibilities, on his role as the Runner, on Elios.

Trowa stood up and pushed the chair back gently. “I understand.” It was all he could muster to say right now. He put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and gave Heero a cold look, determined to end this now.

It was clear to Heero that Trowa couldn’t understand, and obviously didn’t. He watched as the other program stood, his expression hardening to the same placid, emotionless visage he had first seen back in Tron City. He felt his stomach drop, his body turn to ice, and his muscles  tense at the sight of it. It was such a stark, harsh expression in contrast to the warm, dynamic face he had seen the night before. _I did this_ , he told himself. _It’s just as well. I need to stop being so pathetic and just let him go. It’s not like I deserve him, or the love or want of anyone else, anyway. I need to focus on my directive. I need to destroy the Gate._

He avoided Trowa’s cold gaze, tipped his face to the floor and walked out of the yurt before he could blurt something else out, and possibly ruin his upcoming mission directive.  
  
Outside the yurt Duo was laughing maniacally as he circled the newly formed light cycle Wufei had just supplied him. His eyes were gleaming with excitement, his face reflected a bright, open happiness that was in stark contrast to the two programs who had just arrived.  
  
“Trowa! Look at this thing! Holy shit, it looks JUST like Kevin Flynn’s drawings! Wow… just… wow.” He ran his hand over the curved top of the old-style enclosed light cycle, marveling at the fact it was actually there. He had only seen these things on paper and in his dreams.  
  
“Heero, Trowa. You’ve got cycles, right?” Wufei knew about Trowa, but he had yet to see Heero use his. He watched the other program nod in response. “I thought we could take the User here to try his cycle out,” Wufei added, his face clearly amused.

“I’m going to sit this one out,” Heero replied as he took up a lean against the side of the yurt, his arms crossing tightly over his chest. _I need them out of the way. I need to find a way to broadcast back to D-File,_ he thought to himself as he closed his eyes.

“I’m in.” Trowa gripped the baton from his side and walked up to Wufei. Riding was one of his favorite pastimes, and putting some distance between Heero and himself was probably a good idea.

He gave his friend a quick nod before running in the direction of the clearing and activating his light cycle. His helmet pixelated around his head and the cycle formed under his body. Trowa put his foot on the ground to balance himself while he sat there and waited for Wufei and Duo.

Duo could never get enough of the whole ‘jump and transform’ motion the programs did when they made their cycles appear. He gawked in awe at Trowa, who was suddenly ready to go, and then scrambled to get into his own new antique light cycle. Wufei had given him a run down of the rudimentary controls. Duo was pretty decent at driving, flying and playing all sorts of simulation video games. He was also a quick learner. He saw Wufei jump and mount his own cycle, before Trowa look off like a bat out of hell, the second program close behind. He gave Heero a little wave, though the program couldn’t see him, and took off after them, headed to Wufei’s secret area in the Outlands of the Grid.

Heero watched them go and once they were completely vanished over the distant crest of cliff beyond he turned and slid into Wufei’s yurt in search of any form of communication tech he could modify or use to send an update to his commanding organization.

 

* * *

 

Wufei eventually lead their three light cycle-long group to an open, flat area a mile out from his camp. He didn’t bother stopping once he got there. Duo seemed to be adjusting easily, and even a little recklessly, zipping and weaving his old-style light cycle around behind Trowa with the childish glee of a preschooler. Wufei didn’t mind. It was nice to get away from the camp.

Something was going on, clearly, between Trowa and Heero and he didn’t much care for the tension. Wufei had never seen Trowa so involved in one of his runs before. Duo had told him the night before that the programs had been acting strangely towards one another ever since they had met. It was also evident that there was a lot of sexual tension happening, too. Wufei lost sleep over it. He was concerned, not about the run itself, but for the Runner. He never made mistakes. For him to forget to check Heero’s disc was a major slight and break of his usual professional conduct. Wufei didn’t want to call Trowa out on it in front of Duo or the other program. It wasn’t any of their business, but it was Wufei’s. He considered Trowa a friend and colleague. He decided when they got a spare private moment he would ask.

In the meantime he decided to try to show the User a good time. He had never met a User before, and up until now he loathed them. The idea of something being able to control your universe and then dropping into your world to dictate always rubbed him the wrong way. The programs worshipped Kevin Flynn and his son Sam, but Wufei never felt that connected to their idea. He always felt Radia was a better role model, and Elios had helped him to really understand her teachings and her way of life. It was Elios who had changed Wufei’s ways. The ISO was the reason Wufei had broken off from BEING in the first place.

He wondered what Elios would think about Duo, and part of him wished he could cross the remainder of their journey through the Outlands with them. He was curious about what Elios would think about Heero, too, and his effect on Trowa.

Trowa rode his light cycle hard and fast as if he were racing away from the troubled thoughts in his head. He was fully aware of how unprofessional he was acting with Heero, and it was starting to make him feel ashamed. _I'm so weak when it comes to him. So weak, distracted, and ineffective._

There was a steep incline with a drop off coming up on the edge of the clearing. Trowa steered his cycle towards the hard rocks, feeling the power of the machine in between his thighs as he accelerated.

Duo was following behind Trowa as fast as he could manage, though his own cycle was moderately slow compared to Wufei and the Runner’s, who were darting around at breakneck speeds in flashes of purple and green light, almost impossible to keep track of. Suddenly Duo noticed the cliff and the sudden drop at the end of Trowa’s path. He skid his own cycle to a stop and gawked wide-eyed as the Runner made no moves to slow down or avoid it. “... hey, HEY! Wait a sec, watch out for that-”

Wufei had diverted beside Duo and skid to a stop as well, his helmet opened so he could better see the purple and black light cycle speeding away.

Trowa’s digital pulse was racing as he masterfully steered the bike up the incline. He’d done jumps higher and wider than this before, but it had been a while and he was a little rusty. Leaning down into the warm machine, Trowa pressed his body firmly against the smooth surface while increasing his speed. His foot didn’t let off the acceleration until the exact moment he hit the ledge, which sent his light cycle flying through the air and over the drop off.

He landed as gracefully as he could on the opposite side, letting the back tire hit the ground first before rocking the rest of the bike forward. The adrenaline rushed through his veins and he felt some of the tension in his body dissolve. Swerving the bike around, he headed back in the direction of Wufei and Duo, feeling five times better than he had when they first set out.

As Trowa came to a stop nearby Duo practically fell out of his own bike and scrambled across the dark ground to him. “Dude that was insane! I mean… we jumped that fence, but … that is like a fuckin’ pit of hell over there!” he exclaimed as he gestured to the large fissure Trowa had jumped so seemingly effortlessly. Duo was excited, his fingers itching in anticipation. “Show me! Show me how to do that!”  
  
Wufei, standing a few yards behind Duo, was shaking his head at Trowa mouthing a silent ‘no’.

“The bike you are using isn’t well suited for jumps.” Trowa’s helmet retracted as he spoke. That cliff wasn’t exactly the best for beginners, either. He shook his head firmly, watching the User’s expression go from ecstatic to bummed in seconds. “I’m sorry.”

“Eh, it’s okay. Maybe next time,” Duo said with a smirk. “But maaaaaaybe, you’ll trade bikes with me? For a little? I promise, no jumps…”

Trowa sighed and nodded. Might as well let the User have a little more fun while he was still on the Grid. His bike quickly vanished as he got off of it, and he handed the baton to Duo. “Be careful…”

Duo was crawling out of his skin with excitement. He grinned, nodded and, using the method Trowa had taught him to make the sword, he summoned the bike instead. However, his mounting wasn’t very elegant. He stumbled, fell off of it and nearly was crushed by its weight before he managed to shove it upright again and throw a leg over it. With a wicked laugh he took off, careening across the flat ground, howling with happiness.

Wufei watched the User go and shook his head. He couldn’t believe the guy was still alive, having been on the grid this long, with such a wild personality. He parked his cycle, dismounted and watched as it vanished into little particles before approaching Trowa. “So, you looked pretty tense earlier. Is everything okay? You ready for the last leg tomorrow?”

“I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Trowa lied, looking off in the distance at Duo’s retreating form. “I’m ready. I’ve been away from Elios for too long.” His normal runs didn’t take this many days, and he was eager to get home, eager for everything to return to normal. What Heero decided to do once they reached Aether was his own decision. Trowa wouldn’t be heading back to Tron City for a few weeks. He always had some down time in between runs.

Wufei raised an eyebrow at the mention of sleep. As far as he knew, Trowa hadn’t slept at all. At least it hadn’t _sounded_ like he had. He wasn’t the type to pry. “I’m sure he’ll be excited to see you. And the User. I wish I could go with you,” Wufei said casually as he crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes seeking out the wayward light cycle. He could see the faint flash of light moving fast in the distance, shining against the black plane of the Outland’s isolated plateau. “I would like to hear what Elios has to say about him, and how he got here on The Grid. I wonder if any more Users will be coming, now that he’s opened the way?”

“I don’t know… I hope not. It’s a lot of work getting them to the gate.” Trowa smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced at Wufei. “And you should come. Elios would love to see you. It’s been a while...”  

“I’ve been considering it, especially with the handful that User has become.” Wufei rubbed his forehead with his palm and shook his head. “I don’t know. I suppose it depends on how much sleep I get tonight. Speaking of which… are we making the same arrangements as we did before?” He raised a thin eyebrow and cast a sideways glance at the taller program. “Because I don’t mind giving up the User, if you want to take his place.” He smirked, trying to make the question seem a little more lighthearted. He wanted to give Trowa an out if he wanted it.

“If you’re not too attached to him, I’ll sleep with you.” Trowa wasn’t even sure Heero wanted to be in the same room with him anymore. “I think it would be best… for all of us, if I distanced myself from Heero. I can’t be distracted.”  

Wufei nodded. “Of course. It’s no trouble. Besides, if he’s pissed you off, what better revenge than to make him sleep with that gurgling, grumbling User,” he added with a smirk. “If you don’t mind me asking…” he paused, as if hesitant to ask. “Is there something serious going on that I should be aware of? Do you need help or something?”

Trowa quickly shook his head. “No. I can take care of it.” He looked away again, eyes narrowing at the thought of someone needing to step in and assist him with his problem. _Am I that weak?_

“We just got carried away. We have… unusual chemistry. But I need to control myself when I’m around him.”

“I understand,” Wufei with with a smile. He elbowed his arm playfully. “Don’t worry about it. I would much rather have you in my bed anytime,” he added with a chuckle. “Now where is that User? Just our luck the Outlanders got a hold of him again. He said they were trying to sell him off. You should have sold him yourself. Go into early retirement.”

Trowa smirked. “I don't think Elios would ever forgive me for that.” He was that dedicated to his Master Controller’s beliefs that the thought of selling Duo off had never struck him. “I kind of like him. He’s a nice guy…” The User was growing on Trowa.

 

* * *

 

Heero had found a hidden access point to the spectrum nexus, a data stream that ran throughout the Grid deep underground. He had suspected that Wufei would have a way to communicate and order supplies, and he had found it hidden behind the supply tent. He connected a communication tablet to it and sent in his report to D-FILE about everything that had happened so far. The User, how he found the Runner, and where they were approximately located. He had received no reply. He had waited for nearly an hour beside the terminal for something, _anything_ , in reply but got none. No new orders. No new information.

So he was left to do nothing but fall back on his original directive, until further notice. He had no idea if they were going to send in help or not. If they wanted him to turn in the User, or to let him pass through the Gate and leave the Grid.

He had returned back to the tent he and Trowa had slept in the night before. Bored, he made the bed and just stretched his body across it on his back, his eyes closed and arms crossed, waiting. There was nothing else he could do.

He decided he was going to avoid Trowa as much as possible. He needed to focus on his directive, and having filed his report he was not steeled in his resolve. He had just started to doze off into light hibernation when he heard the distinctive sounds of light cycles returning. It was late into the afternoon by now.

Duo slid his cycle to a stop and climbed out of it with a smile. He took a few steps back and propped his hands on his hips as he gave the bike one final once-over. “This thing is amazing. It’s a shame I can’t bring it with me. Man… 

“It’s staying here.” Trowa said sharply, cutting off any budding ideas the User might have. He attached his baton to his side as the three of them headed into the main Yurt.

“I consider that outing a success. No one hurt themselves.” Wufei pushed the tent flap open and waited for Duo and Trowa to pass by before following them in.

Duo grinned and took a seat at the table. His hand immediately found an energy bar and began peeling it open. “Ye of little faith,” he said with a chuckle before he took an enormous bite. He swallowed it down after a few chews and waved the half-eaten bar in Trowa’s direction. “You guys think you’re so intense, you should see some of the stuff we Users do for fun. I go surfin’, rock climbin’, parkour. Gimme a beach and a pile of rocks that AREN’T black and square jagged messes anyday!”

“Surfing? Rock clinging?” Trowa had no idea what those were. He went to take a seat across from Duo, reaching out to snatch a bar off the table. While Duo chatted his ear off, filling him in on what exactly those two things were, Trowa was distracted and not paying attention to where he was about to sit. Unbeknownst to him, Wufei had just swiped the chair he was about to claim, so when he lowered himself his ass came in contact with two hard knees. Trowa immediately straightened up.

Wufei laughed as he was sat upon and instead of allowing Trowa to retreat he grabbed his hand before he could get to far and pat his knee with a smirk. “You can sit here if you want.”

Duo, who had just put the second half of his energy bar in his mouth, began coughing and choking on it as he laughed.

“You stole my seat.” Trowa said, eyes narrowed in mock anger. He lowered himself down onto the other program’s lap, deciding to claim the seat anyway. “I didn’t realize you missed me this much.” The wrapper on the energy bar crinkled as Trowa’s long fingers pulled it open. This was the chair he always sat in when he visiting Wufei. The other program knew that…

“Anyway,” Wufei added curtly as he dropped his eyes on Duo. “You’re sleeping with that Heero guy tonight.”

Duo coughed again, his eyes wide. “What? Why? I behaved! I only touched you twice, man… don’t make me sleep with that guy, he’s crazy! What if he glitches all over the bed…”

“He’s not glitching anymore.” Trowa shot Duo a look before bringing the bar up to his mouth and taking a bit. He chewed thoughtfully, wondering where Heero was. Before his thoughts could get infatuated with the shorter program, he shook his head and tried pushing that handsome face from his mind.

The program in question, as if summoned by magic, appeared through the flat of the tent at the mention of his name. Heero had caught the tail end of their conversation and was glaring down at Duo, his eyes narrowed sharply. “If you sleep with me, you need to keep your mouth shut.”  
  
Duo rolled his eyes and caught the curious look Heero was giving Trowa and Wufei. The corner of his mouth perked, and he couldn’t help himself. Before he could stop his brain his mouth supplied, “seems like anyone who shares a bed with you can’t KEEP their mouth shut, so…”

Wufei snorted under his breath and reached over Trowa to grab water, saying nothing.  
  
“What time do we leave in the morning,” Heero asked, attempting not to even look at Trowa, he took a seat beside Duo and crossed his arms over his chest, eyes downcast at the table.

“Early.” Trowa said, noticing how Heero avoided looking at him. He ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach and took another bite of the tasteless energy bar.   

Heero was having trouble staying in the same room with them. He shifted uncomfortably, still seeing Trowa’s long and lean figure propped on the other program’s lap, and felt the undeniable head of jealousy rear within his chest to gnaw at his throat. He cleared his throat to shake the sensation before abruptly standing up.  
  
“Get me when you want to leave, then. Goodnight,” he said plainly, without looking at any of them. He strode quietly out of the tent and to the other, flopped down onto the mattress on his side with his disc still on and closed his eyes.

“Ugh… THE DRAAAMMMAAAAAA,” Duo said loudly as he tilted his head up to the roof of the yurt and draped an arm dramatically over his eyes. “And you want me to _sleep_ with that guy?”

Trowa finished the bar and set the wrapper on the table. He got off Wufei’s lap, pretending like he wasn’t affected by Heero’s mood. “I can hibernate on the floor if you want to stay in Wufei’s bed.”  

Duo snickered and dropped his arm from his eyes. “Nah, I’m just fuckin’ with you. I wanna see how far I can get with that guy, anyway. One of my kinks is pissy-lookin, angry guys…” he said playfully as he hopped up from the chair. He grabbed two energy bars to go and ducked his body through the tent’s flap-style door. “Goodniiiiight you two,” he said with a suggestive wink before vanishing completely.

A minute later the sound of theatrical, overly loud moans came from the other tent. “Oooooohhhhh yeaaaaaahhhhh, haaarrrrdder! OOF!”

“Touch me again, and I _will_ derez you,” came the cold, rather deadly sounding voice.


	10. Chapter 10

The User slept like a rock. Heero had nudged Duo a few times with his foot to test if he was conscious, but he had failed to get a response. He could tell by his strange, deep rumbling noises that he was deep in hibernation and decided that it was a good time to try and check the Nexus Stream one more time.

Heero had been waiting for a reply from D-FILE ever since he had sent them his report the day before, but he had yet to receive a reply. It was disconcerting. He hadn’t contacted them since he had left Tron City, and he was beginning to wonder whether they wanted him to carry out his directive or not. There were no indications that they didn’t want him to, but at this point the notion was merely wishful thinking.

Even though Heero had decided not to pursue any more intimate connections with Trowa, he couldn’t stop thinking about him. He felt like a program obsessed. As he slid out of the bed he cast a worried glance over his shoulder at the loud-mouthed User, who was gurgling and rasping away on the bed, spread out on his back with his arms and legs strewn across the mattress in every direction as he unconsciously claimed it as his own.

Heero was confident that the User wouldn’t notice he was gone, and he intended on being back before anyone suspected a thing. He grabbed a small communication tablet he had purloined from the storage room out from under the bed and slipped quietly from the tent. He made his way through the darkness in the direction of the storage tent where the Nexus stream was hidden.

He tucked the tablet under his arm and ran a hand through his hair nervously as he walked through the darkness between tents to the rear of the storage unit. He scanned the area thoroughly before crouching down to the hidden door he had found built into the base of the yurt’s platform floor and pulled it open. After connecting the stream cables to his tablet he keyed in a series of codes that serves as an ISP identifier. After a moment he had accessed his D-FILE storage and a series of messages quickly flashed across the screen.

DIRECTIVE: DESTROY THE GATE.  
APPREHEND THE USER, RETURN USER TO D-FILE.   
DEREZ AETHER GUARD PROGRAMS. DEREZ ISO ELIOS.

Heero’s eyes widened as the message flashed in bold red letters across the blackened screen. No sooner had they illuminated did they vanish from existence, and for a moment he was stunned at the additional orders. He had never been told anything about Aether before. He had only been ordered to destroy the Gate.

Apparently D-FILE wanted Duo as well.

He thumbed the cables off of the tablet and carefully replaced the hidden door to the platform, leaving everything as he had found it. He slid around to the front of the storage tent and crept inside to replace the tablet where he had originally found it. He paused before leaving the nearly pitch-black storage tent and stared down at the small, triangular patch of glowing violet light that was filtering through the tent’s door-flap, drawing radiant geometric shapes on the floor at his feet.

 _Violet energy,_ he thought with a frown. He wondered if, when he derezzed Trowa, he would burst into violet light rather than the bright, cyan blue of other programs.

The thought of having to derez him was starting to force an uncomfortable tightening sensation to form in the center of his chest. His mind was warring with itself, presenting contrasting ideas at startling speed. How would he destroy him? By disc? Make it look like an accident? _But I don’t want to derez him_ , he thought frantically. _But this is my additional directive… I have to. How could I?_

He pressed his palm to the side of his head and gritted his teeth in an attempt to silence the now blaring argumentative voices debating loudly in his head.

 _I can’t do this… I have to, but I can’t…_ his hands reflexively balled into fists as his body became overwhelmed with frustration. He was confused, angry, perplexed. He didn’t know what to do.

“Damn it!” he snarled angrily. His fist flew to the side and slammed into one of the storage crates stacked beside the door flap with a dull thud.

Heero didn’t know what he was going to do, but he decided that he would sleep on it and avoid Trowa as much as possible until he could work out a plan. _I have to follow my directive,_ his mind droned on over and over again as he stepped out of the tent and into the dense, heavy darkness.

 

* * *

 

Trowa’s eyes opened at the sound of commotion coming from outside. Wufei was hibernating next to him on the bed, his body silent and unmoving. No one should be out roaming around the site this time of night. He sat up and slung his legs over the side of the mattress, looking around the dark tent for signs of anything that seemed off. He grabbed his identity disc off the nightstand and slipped it onto his back with a soft click, standing up and heading outside to investigate.

He pushed the tent flap open and peered out at his surroundings. A flash of cyan blue light off to the left caught his eye and a figure slowly registered. Trowa took a cautious step out of the tent. “Heero?”

Heero froze in place at the sound of his name being called out by a familiar voice. A voice he had thought to avoid. He hung his head and bit his lower lip. His fingertips twitched, and for a moment he considered taking action. It was dark, and Trowa was probably unarmed. He could derez him right here, take the User and sneak out to turn him in to D-FILE.

 _But then I wouldn’t be able to find the Gate,_ he thought with a frown. He needed the Runner to lead him to the ISO and the Gate. _But… do I really need him? I know what direction we are traveling in… I could just…_

“Trowa,” he replied automatically, his own voice breaking his wild stream of thought.

“What are you doing out of hibernation?” Trowa asked in a hushed tone. He walked up to the other program wondering if something was wrong, and quickly looked Heero over to make sure he was okay. The tenseness between the two hung in the air like a thick curtain and it made Trowa uncomfortable. He curled and uncurled his fingers into fists at his side while he waited for the other to answer him.

“Nothing,” Heero replied tersely, his voice hard. “I couldn’t sleep. That’s all.” He took a step back from Trowa as he was assessed by the other program. He avoided looking at him, lest he see through him. At this point he didn’t know the extent of the other program’s abilities. “Goodnight,” he muttered with his dark eyes cast to the ground while taking a few steps in retreat.

“No one’s forcing you to be here.” Trowa’s voice broke out over the distance Heero was putting between them. He watched the program retreat, purposely avoiding him like he had been doing all day, and a dull ache forming in his chest. “You can’t stand being around me anymore. So why are you still here?”

“... I need to get to Aether,” Heero recited his cover half-heartedly. “ You’re taking me there, remember,” he added for emphasis. He stopped in front of the yurt he and Duo shared and crossed his arms tightly over his chest with his back facing the other program. “Why do you care whether I can stand you or not? It’s clear you aren’t in need of _my_ attention.”

“Wasn’t it just last night that you were telling me you needed me?” Trowa crossed his arms over his chest in frustration. Heero had ‘claimed’ him, told him that he belonged to him, but clearly he didn’t want him anymore. He was acting so cold and as much as Trowa didn’t want to admit it, the coldness stung. He tried shielding himself from the frosty looks the other was giving him and took a few steps closer so they could continue talking in hushed tones and not wake the others. “Now you just want me to lead you to the gate.”

“I don’t need anyone,” Heero forced himself to say in a low growl. He turned his body just enough to peer at him over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed accusingly. “And isn’t it your job to bring us to the Gate? Perform your directive, Trowa.” _And I’ll do mine,_ the thought pierced his thoughts and forced a lump to form in the back of his throat.

 _Don’t come close to me,_ he pleaded silently as he hardened his expression in an attempt to appear as menacing as possible. He knew that he should leave and duck into the tent before another word could be spoken, but his feet felt as if they were filled with lead. He couldn’t move, and as he glared icily over his shoulder he could see the faint outline of Trowa’s body cast with the faint purple light from the Grid’s “sky” above. He watched the tension in his shoulders and the awkward shift of his body as his words struck him.

The anger and irritation that was radiating off Heero’s body absorbed into Trowa’s system and sent shivers down his spine. He’d never seen Heero like this before. _Why is he acting like this? What did I do…_ It was almost like the connection they shared was suddenly too much for the other. Heero was trying to push him away. _What is he afraid of?_

“You’re a coward.” Trowa’s eyes narrowed and he took a step back, unfolding his arms and letting his hands drop to his sides. “And a liar.” Apparently all that they had shared the night before was false.   

Heero’s body turned to stone as he was called a ‘coward’ and for a moment he came nothing more than a golem filled with hurt. He stood there, glowering over his shoulder at him with jaw clenched and fingernails dug deeply into the meat of his palms.  
  
“You don’t know me,” his voice finally gelled in his throat. “You have no idea the things I’ve been through.” Suddenly the rocky crust on his body cracked and he broke free from the bounds of his shock. He spun around, fueled by the sudden hurt Trowa’s words had inflicted, and with a few wide strides closed the distance between them. He grabbed the front of the other program’s black jacket and yanked him close so he could better make out his face. “You call me a coward, when I _saved_ you. I didn’t have to do any of that. I could have just left you there.”

Heero’s hands were shaking. _I’ll just derez him,_ his directive-led mind reasoned. His other hand snapped up to grab Trowa by the throat, his cold fingers locking around the smooth column of the other program’s neck. _I could easily finish him, right here. Then all of this hurt can stop. All of this confusion will be over,_ his logic supplied.

The pressure around his neck was getting stronger but Trowa didn’t struggle. His arms dangled at his sides, completely useless. He couldn’t fight back because his body wouldn’t let him. His eyes stared back at Heero’s reflecting hurt, confusion, and anger, but not fear. As Heero held him there, squeezing his fingers tighter around his throat, giving him that cold, uncaring look, Trowa felt his heart shatter into a million pixels. That hole inside of him that he thought had been filled by Heero’s presences started to expand, spreading throughout his body, slowly making him hallow. He felt numb. He felt used.

Clenching his teeth, Trowa managed to squeeze his voice out from his constricted windpipes. “…Do it. I won’t lead you to the gate now, not like this. So do it.”   _Derez me._

Trowa’s words forced Heero’s hand to tighten reflexively and in the darkness he could make out the other program’s face through the gloom. His face was so close, and in it he saw his hurt. It was a hurt that matched his own. He had hurt him. He was physically and emotionally hurting him, and found that he was sickened by it. Something in him pounded at the inside of his skull, screaming for his body to stop. To cease and desist. And yet there was a stronger demon within, forcing his hand, curling his fingers tighter.

 _I’ll never reach the Gate,_ his directive pointed out. He couldn’t kill him. He couldn’t bring himself to, anyway. _I’m a failure._

He stared into the brave face of the Runner. They were so close that their noses were brushing ever so slightly together. He felt the familiar pull, the tight wire in his chest being yanked by Trowa’s body, beckoning him closer.

Heero didn’t know what to do now. There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide from him. He couldn’t kill him. He couldn’t be his friend. He didn’t know what to do. He forced his thoughts of his directive out of his mind and tried to find clarity but couldn’t.

 _Someone help me…_  a faint voice supplied a frantic plea from the back of his mind. The scar on his shoulder began to itch, and he was suddenly very aware of it. His fingertips against Trowa’s throat burned, his cheeks began to sting. His lips twitched as he stared down at Trowa’s, and before he could stop himself he used his grip on the other program’s neck to yank him closer, while at the same time he lunged forward to roughly envelop Trowa’s mouth with his own.

Fingers started to flex as Trowa’s body began cooperating again. He closed his eyes and brought a shaking hand to the back of Heero’s head, holding him there so he could deepen the kiss, tongue pushing into the other’s mouth with force. Despite the hold around his neck, he was able to move his lips desperately against his partner’s. Heero set Trowa on fire, breathing life back into his hallowed frame. He burned with undeniable need for the other. _If this is how I die, I’m fine with it…_

_Goodbye._

The tiny pixels in his chest slowly started to rebuild his broken heart, piece by piece. Heero needed him. _He_ needed Heero. He couldn’t deny it, and Heero couldn’t pretend there was nothing between them. Now that he’d felt the tug of the thread that bound them, the intense physical connection, Trowa didn’t want anything else this world had to offer. If he couldn’t have Heero, then he was fine taking death as his eternal partner instead. He willingly accepted his fate, and felt at peace with his decision.

Heero hadn’t expected to kiss him, and so Trowa’s full participation in the kiss was also a shock. He felt Trowa’s hand grasp the back of his head, and felt the other program’s fingers seep down into his hair. As his fingertips came in contact with his scalp he felt electricity accumulating between their mouths. Every time their lips parted to devour the other a sharp, pinching shock of static arced between their mouths. Raw energy was coursing through Heero’s hand, seemingly from the other program himself. It was as if their fervent kiss had finally connected them and created a full circuit for their energy to pass over from one to the other.

The energy was forcing all of Heero’s previous urges away, subduing the former demands of his directive.

He could feel Trowa’s resolve. He knew it had to be his, the sensation wasn’t like anything he had felt when he was alone. He felt as if his connected program was pressing into him, as if their very code was meshing and blending together. _He doesn’t care if I kill him,_ Heero realized. The truth formed in his own mind, and he didn’t know why but he knew it to be true.

That was when he gave up. He didn’t care, he wouldn’t stop himself any longer. If Trowa could give in to this, then he could too. With all of his self control deactivated he shoved Trowa by the neck backward, guiding him as he continued his impassioned assault on his mouth. He led the way through the darkness to the supply tent, and within moments they were inside, under the flap, against a stack of crates. He pinned him there by the neck, his fingers never once breaking contact. He didn’t want to interrupt whatever strange power exchange that was happening between them. He pressed his body against his taller figure, jammed his tongue deeply into his mouth and allowed himself to release a needy moan.

The crates protested against the weight of the two bodies, creaking and groaning as Trowa was shoved, his head falling back against the wood. Strong arms wrapped around Heero’s shoulders, pulling him flush against his heated frame. Trowa didn’t mind that the other was still squeezing his neck, holding him captive. It meant the other wanted him, and it was a surprising turn on.

There was an obvious hardness pressed against his thigh, to which Trowa responded by rocking his hips forward to meet it. Long fingers ran from Heero’s shoulder down his spine and to his ass, cupping the firm flesh greedily. He worshiped the body in front of him, addicted to the electric currents it gave off.  

Trowa suddenly pulled his swollen lips away, eyes opening and seeking out the now familiar blue orbs in front of him. “I need you… that’s why I care if you can’t stand being around me anymore. If you won’t be with me, then derez me. Now. No more games.” His voice was forceful, the demand rolling off his tongue. _You’re an asshole, Heero. But I can’t exist without you… So make your decision now._   

The challenge summoned a frown to Heero’s face. Hearing the other program put to words the very thing he was struggling over made a smothering wave of sadness crash against his body. He pulled his face back so he could take in all of Trowa’s, studying his expression with wide eyes that seeked his forgiveness.  
  
“I don’t _want_ to derez you,” he murmured, the sentiment stemmed from his deepest wants and desires. He had wanted to be with this program ever since he had met him, and despite all of the signs pointing away from pursuing such a connection he still wanted it. Now he had direct orders to derez him.  
  
His hand trembled against Trowa’s throat as he felt his directive trying to take him over. _You’d be safer away from me,_ he thought desperately, _but I ache when you’re not near me…_ _why does it have to be this way?_

He knew that Trowa was right. He had to make a decision. He had to decide whether he was going to blindly follow his directive. If he was going to follow his orders. He couldn’t understand why the directive had changed- why Trowa was supposed to die. He was created to take down the Gate, and now they were using him to indiscriminately murder programs. He was a weapon. They were treating him as such.

And yet this program had treated him like nobody ever had before. He treated him as an equal, a colleague, someone who was worthy of affection and pleasure. He felt … alive around him. He felt needed, wanted, worthwhile. He had never felt that way before. His body needed him. He had clarity when he was with him. He felt complete.

“No more games,” Heero repeated Trowa’s phrase in a low, determined voice. _You’re too important to me. I can’t derez you,_ he decided resolutely. “I need you, too. I lose control when I’m around you,” His fingers loosened their grip on his neck until they were nothing more than a firm expression of control.

“You’ll be with me? When we get to Aether, you’ll stay?” Trowa’s eyes searched Heero’s for a solid answer. He wanted to hear the words. He wouldn’t be able to handle it if they broke this off again, knowing his body would shut down. Nothing else mattered right now, not Elios, not his responsibilities as the Runner, not the fact that he didn’t truly know Heero. All that mattered was keeping their connection and that they stop denying their feelings. _Say you’ll stay with me. Always._

Despite everything that told him he shouldn’t, Heero wanted Trowa. He yearned to be with him, to be something to someone more than just a weapon. A drone. A mindless program.  
  
“Yes. I will. I will stay with you,” he said aloud. Going directly against his directive hurt. He felt a burn activate at the base of his skull, and his eyes narrowed against the ache that began to form behind his eyes. With his hand still holding steadily against Trowa’s neck he lifted his other to run his fingertips across the other program’s cheek, his dark eyes glistened through the darkness with a newfound determination. “Since the moment I saw you at Tron City all I’ve ever wanted was to be with you.”

Trowa wrapped his fingers around Heero’s wrist and carefully pulled his hand away, freeing his bruised neck. He leaned into the other and pressed their lips together again, sealing their commitment. No matter what happened when they got to the hideout, to Aether, Trowa promised himself that he’d protect Heero and keep him by his side. For once in his life, he was going to be greedy and hold onto the one thing he wanted most. The program who filled the emptiness deep within.

 

* * *

 

Heero felt a warmth against his cheek, along the entire front of his body. His eyes opened slowly and they gradually came into focus as he came out of hibernation. His head was tilted at an odd angle, his face pressed firmly against something firm but slightly yielding. He soon realized he was sitting up, or rather semi-upright, slumped against something. Someone. It was Trowa.

Memory banks soon booted to supply memories from the night before. Their emotional encounter had ended with sincere promises to be with one another, which was then quickly followed by a bout of intense, passionate sex that had concluded with Trowa roughly claiming him. They had fallen into hibernation after hard reset, still in the position they had been in during their intense exchange.  
  
Trowa was in hibernation still, seated on the floor with his back against a stack of crates, his head tilted to the side, lips slightly parted and relaxed as he recharged. Heero had been riding his lap in reverse before they had reset and in that position his body had remained, straddling his lap, facing him. His cheek was pillowed by the taller program’s light-lined shoulder, their torsos firmly pressed together. They were both naked, their identity discs lying side by side on the floor nearby.  
  
Heero shifted his stiff thighs around the hibernating program and took stock of his body. His back was chilled but the front of his body felt comfortably warm. His knees aches from being pressed into the floor all night and his hips burned from being propped open wide. He could feel Trowa’s softened cock still tucked inside him.

He lifted a hand and wearily rubbed the side of his head as he tried to recall the details of the night before. His eyes stung from weariness, but despite being tired his mind was crystal clear. He had needed the reset, and now that he had it, he was feeling amazing. Processing effectively. He had Trowa to thank for that.

Heero turned his face to the side and nuzzled the other program’s neck and for the first time in his existence he was at peace and was content.

Trowa slowly started to come out of hibernation as the program on top of him stirred. He felt the soft nuzzle at his neck and brought a hand up to run his awakening fingers through Heero’s thick brown hair. A smile moved across his lips while his vision focused and his memory booted.

It felt like he was floating on air, he was feeling so refreshed. He moved his fingers down to trail along Heero’s jawline before gently grabbing the other’s chin and pulling his face up for a kiss. “Morning…” Trowa breathed and kissed him again, sliding his tongue into the willing mouth.

There was a rustle behind them as the tent flap was pushed aside. Wufei poked his head in, a worried frown gracing his features. When he’d woken up that morning he’d found the other side of the bed cold and empty, so he’d left the tent in search of Trowa, hoping everything was ok.

Heero tensed at the sound of the flap opening and all of the relaxed, pleased thoughts he had been having while he received his morning kisses were wiped away by the sound of the intruder voice behind him.  
  
“Ugh, really?”   
  
Heero broke their connection at the lips and turned around to scowl at Wufei, who had slapped his hand over his eyes and turned his body away from them, his face tilted up to the sky.   
  
“Do you mind?” Heero growled, making no move to get off of his newly claimed companion.

“Get dressed,” Wufei snarled from beneath his hand. “You’re wasting time away in this tent while the storm is subsiding. If you don’t go soon you’ll miss your chance to make it through the pass.” The program snorted in disgust before he ducked out of the tent with low mutterings about ‘professionalism’ and ‘I didn’t need to see that’.

Heero frowned and turned back to face Trowa again, groaned under his breath and buried his face against his shoulder. His arms slid around the taller program’s waist and his thighs tightened to bind his hips beneath him, reluctant to let him go. He didn’t want to start this day. It was only going to bring him one step closer to the conclusion of his directive, of this assignment. He didn’t know what he was going to do now. Things weren’t so simple anymore.


	11. Chapter 11

“Here.” Wufei handed Trowa a black bag with a strap. “There’s some energy bars and drinks in there. And extra repair code.” The taller program took the bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Thank you.”

They were getting ready to leave Wufei’s refuge and head out on the last stretch of their journey. If they made good time they would reach the hideout by the end of the day. Trowa grew more and more eager to see Elios, but he was anxious about bringing his new lover home. Heero would need to learn how to share him with his Master Controller, and he didn’t think his lover would take that very well.

Wufei pulled Trowa into a hug. “Until we meet again. In a few months?”

Trowa nodded and gave his friend a tight squeeze before pulling away. “Yes.” He’d be back for another run by the end of the cycle. “You should come visit soon.”

Duo watched the two programs exchange a hug and quiet words from the edge of the camp where Heero was moping around, waiting to leave. He grinned at the cranky, stern-looking program and couldn’t help but chuckle at the way his eyebrow twitched when Trowa and Wufei exchanged a friendly hug.  
  
“Don’t worry, he’s not into that guy like that. I can tell,” the User said with a knowing smirk. He was standing with his arms folded behind his back and was toeing a baseball-sized chunk of Grid matter with the toe of his light suit boot.

Heero frowned and tore his eyes away from the two to narrow them on the distant horizon. _I’m not worried,_ he thought with a sigh. And he wasn’t. Oddly enough after the previous night’s connection he felt like he knew everything about the other program, including his intentions. He didn’t _suspect_ that Trowa was dedicated to his promise to him. He just _knew_.

Duo waited for a reply from Heero that never came, shrugged his shoulders and kicked the lump. It clattered across the smooth, matte black ground in front of them a few yards before it stopped and spun in place. Duo blinked at the strange top-like movement and then glanced over at Heero, who too was watching it with interest. “That’s fuckin’ weird, right?”

Heero shook his head. He didn’t know why the rock had suddenly stopped and spun. His eyes drifted up to the horizon where he spied a few purple arcs of lightning discharge across the Grid’s upper atmosphere. His scalp tingled, and his fingertips itched like they had the night before when he and Trowa had exchanged energy. “Another storm is coming,” he deduced with a frown. Wufei was right, they would have to hurry and outrun the storm before it caught up with them. Heero felt his stomach drop at the thought. He had hoped they would be able to take their time on the final leg of their journey, but it seemed that the Grid itself was forcing him ever closer to his target, urging him on.

And he didn’t want to go yet. He wasn’t ready.

 

* * *

 

“It’s this way.” Trowa crouched behind the thick wall of rock. He pushed the wet hair from his face so he could see, and reached down to try and grip a flat slab on the ground. His fingers fought to find purchase, but he was having no luck due to the heavy downpour of rain.

They had been walking through the unforgiving terrain of the Outlands all day, the storm at their heels. For the second time on their journey the three found themselves drenched, water completely soaked through their light suits.

Duo stood against the wall trying to shield himself from the cold liquid that fell from the angry purple sky. He frowned through his wet bangs, watching Trowa work at a piece of sheetrock on the ground. “What the hell are ya’ doing? Now’s not the time to be collectin’ rocks.” The weather was making him impatient.

Trowa kept at it patiently, ignoring the User’s whining, and eventually his nails were able to dig under the slab. He slowly pushed the heavy sheet of rock to the side, exposing a tunnel that lead down into the ground. “I hid the light runner here.”

Heero had been waiting close behind Trowa and when the other program had managed to loosen and slide the rock he had grabbed the edge to help him haul it out of the way. The pitch black subterranean path that was soon revealed from behind the slab appeared to dip deep and at a sharp angle deep into the Grid matter itself. It wasn’t a natural tunnel, and Heero suspected that Trowa had help when he created it.

The three ducked into the darkness with nothing but their softly pulsating body lines to illuminate the path in front of them. Duo padded along behind Trowa and grumbled mild complaints while he rung out his long, sopping wet coil of hair. “Anyone got a flashlight?” he muttered jokingly.

Heero nodded and reached around to his back to disengage his disc. He held it in front of his face, turned it to the side and activated its holographic menu. After shifting around through some options a bright ball of light congealed in the center of the hologram, casting a cozy, pure white glow against the glossy black tunnel around them.

A light runner was parked deep in the belly of the tunnel.

“Dude, you hid this in here? Holy shit, is this a light runner?” Duo scrambled down the slope and up to the raised vehicle, his hands greedily ran over the darkened black curved fenders and enormous, pronged off-road tires. “Can I drive? Lemme drive this thing…”

Heero heavily ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to push the wetness away from his face. He wiped his eyes with the back of his equally damp sleeve and waited for Trowa to open the doors. He watched the Runner circle over to the front of the vehicle and with a simple touch of a hidden sensor the roof tipped up and opened to reveal four black seats. Heero slid into the front passenger and waited for Duo to crawl into the back, complaining about ’calling shotgun’ -whatever that meant.

Heero hadn’t seen a light runner like this one before. D-FILE had trained him to drive a regular type, which was essentially a four-wheeled open fendered vehicle with a central cabin that housed two. The light runners that Heero was used to driving were lower to the ground and built for speed. This vehicle rode high. It’s tires were massive and covered with prong-like rectangular grips that were well-suited for travel across the craggy, wild and unpaved terrain of the Outlands.

Heero leaned into his seat and felt his disc click into the circular depression on the back of the seat. He heard Duo do the same. He looked to his left and saw Trowa’s lithe, drenched frame slide effortlessly into the driver’s seat. When the Runner’s disc clicked into place the entire vehicle came to life. Blinding cyan light snaked in parallel lines across the dashboard, the glow accenting and illuminating the modern lines of their new ride.

“Kick-ass,” Duo murmured in awe from his seat directly behind Heero.

 

* * *

 

The light runner moved as elegantly as it could over the bumpy onyx terrain, a soft glow of blue in a sea of darkness. They were starting to ascend at a higher elevation, moving carefully along a narrow path that hugged tight to the side of a mountain. Outside the window off in the distance Tron City glowed in a spectacular display of colors. Miles upon miles of black Outland spread out below them, distancing them from their original starting point. They’d come a long way on their journey.

Trowa’s eyes were focused on the road as he steered. They were getting close now, just a few miles from the entrance to the small hidden city that was home to Aether. He reached down and placed his hand on the large gearshift in between the passenger seat and his own, shifting it forward to gain more traction. His foot lay gently upon the acceleration pedal.

Eventually the faint, beaten path of the road vanished into nothing more than giant slabs of cracked, black crust. They bumped and jostled across them and off the main path through a more inhospitable terrain. Trowa knew the way well. He downshifted the vehicle to a lower gear and began climbing up the uneven crags and squared off hunks of rock. Finally they arrived at a sheer wall of rock that stretched upward to the sky so high that the low, swirling electrical clouds above them blocked any view of it’s summit.

Trowa made no signs of slowing.

Heero frowned and glanced over at the Runner, whose expression was cool and its usual placid calm. Duo was losing his own cool in the back seat.

“Uh… uh, hey, guy? You seein’ that wall up there? You gonna slow down orrrrr- oh FUCK!”

Just as the light runner met with the wall the once seemingly impenetrable wall of rock vanished, replaced by an illuminated, circular silver tunnel. They had driven through the wall.

“A hologram?” Heero asked, surprised. Trowa simply cast an amused smirk in his direction and nodded.

“Oh… oh…. I guess that’s cool,” Duo grumbled. He probed the front of his already damp crotch for any added warmth of wetness. “Fuck, I think I pissed myself,” he muttered breathlessly.

The silver tunnel went nearly a half mile deep into the rock wall itself before it opened into an enormous, curved cavern. Heero leaned over to peer up at the roof of the cavern, which was speckled with dully glowing cyan stalactites. The roof of the cavern itself appeared to be fifty stories high, and as they traveled through the gaping opening he could see white arched structures crop up along the cavern walls, growing in size as they approached.

The inside of the cavern was like a dream to Duo. It reminded him of a mythical sci-fi temple from one of his video games. White and pale grey pillars and support beams held up massive half-circle rooftops.

“This looks like a Vulcan temple…” Duo murmured in awe as he pressed his nose against the window and peered out at the wonderland that lie before them.

“A what?” Heero asked.

“You know, Vulcans. Pointy ears. Green blood. Star Trek. Mister Spock, c’mon… you’re kiddin’ me, right?”

Heero sighed. He would never understand all of those strange User colloquialisms.

“Heero, I would say you’re like a Vulcan,” Duo was ranting from his seat. “But Trowa’s more logical, cool… kinda like Spock. Heero, you’re a jerk. You strike me as more of a Romulan type.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment?” Trowa also had no idea what the User was spouting off about, but he was starting to get curious. He tried to picture what he’d look like with pointy ears as he drove them up to a loading dock area where other vehicles were being stored.

A program clad in a light grey robe waited to greet them, watching silently as they got out of their light craft. “Runner. You’ve returned.” She smiled and approached Trowa after he slid from the driver’s seat. “We’ll store this for you until you leave again.”

“Thank you.” Trowa stood back with Duo and Heero as the female program slipped into the light runner, her disc activating the controls. She pulled away to store it securely with the other vehicles.

Trowa turned to Heero, watching the awe in his eyes as he took in the scenery that was strikingly different from the rest of the Grid. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch the other, instead keeping his hands firmly at his sides. “Welcome home.”

Heero bit the inside of his lower lip and resisted the urge to frown. The Runner appeared refreshed and energized in this environment. Certainly he looked at home himself, statuesque and impressive like the Aether guard who had greeted them. He felt his scar burn and itch beneath his damp light suit, and he felt that nagging voice in the back of his mind urgently try to speak over the wall he had erected inside him to block it out. His directive. _I’m getting close,_ he thought forlornly. _The Gate is here somewhere. I can feel it. I’m finally in._ Despite the success of his mission thus far, Heero was feeling no satisfaction from it.

“An underground city, huh?” Duo was thinking aloud as he turned around in circles with his neck craned back in an attempt to take in the sights. “Impressive. No wonder you were so hush-hush, Trowa. This place is amazin’. Wow… too bad the rest of the Grid can’t be as nice as this.”

“Runner! There you are, it’s about damn time!” a cheerful, deep voice echoed from all around them. Heero saw a large, pale blue robed figure duck out from a rounded archway nearby. Long, even strides brought the person closer and as he neared Heero got a better look at the newcomer. An impressive, tall muscular fresh-faced man clad in a floor-length, loosely fitted long-sleeved robe was on approach. His umber brown skin appeared to glow in the dim light, his square jaw and sunken cheeks highlighted with a faintly bronze glaze. He stepped up to Trowa with a smile that boasted familiarity and clapped his massive, powerful hands on the lithe Runner’s shoulders in greeting.

“We were worried! Caught up in the rain? Look at you, you look like something the gridbugs chewed up and spat out,” he said happily. He looked over Trowa’s shoulder at Heero and Duo, his smile brightening. “Ah, two? Hello, I’m Bouclier,” he said in greeting. He straightened his back and gave them both a polite half-bow. “But you can just call me Bou.”

“This is Heero and Duo.” Trowa nodded in the direction of his two guests before turning back to Bou and cutting the introductions short. “Do you know where Elios resides?” He wasn’t sure if his Master Controller was out and about or if he was at home. The desire to see him was becoming more urgent now that they were there. He could feel his master’s presence pulling him in.

Bou nodded and his full lips tilted into a lopsided grin. “Yeah, he’s here. At the memory pool, I think. Last I saw him anyway. Just got out of a meeting. Guess D-FILE activity has been increased on the border. Must be about you, I suppose…” he clapped his hand against Trowa’s back and eyed the two guests with him. “Want me to take them to their rooms?”

“Yes please.” Trowa was staring off into the distance in the general direction of the memory pool. His legs itched to take him there. “Heero is staying with me. Please show him to my room?”

Bou gave Heero a once-over with his dark, amber eyes and smirked. “Yeah, sure. Come with me you two.”  
  
Duo was tired, and he was irritable. Despite the excitement of being in a new, and definitely improved place, he still wanted nothing more than to get this godforsaken light suit off of his body and take a nap. He decided not to poke fun at the fact Trowa was shacking up with Heero, kept his mouth shut and fell into step behind their escort as he led them in the direction of the Aether barracks.

Heero followed closely behind them, pausing only once to glance over his shoulder at Trowa, who was gone, having vanished quickly behind a nearby building.

 

* * *

 

Trowa’s feet couldn't carry him fast enough. He knew he looked a mess, his hair still damp and pushed to the side, but he didn’t care. Elios was calling him. He dodged in between some buildings and down a path, making his way to the familiar destination.

The memory pool lay in front of the temple, and not far from Elios’s villa. It was one of his master’s favorite places to sit and reflect after stressful meetings. As Trowa approached, he caught sight of a lone figure sitting at the pool’s edge, hand outstretched and resting in the cool water. His chest began to warm with fondness and he let out a soft, relieved sigh. “Elios…” _Quatre..._

The figure turned his head and large aquamarine eyes gazed back at him. The sight of the androgynous, ethereal ISO stopped Trowa dead in his tracks. He was taken aback by the other’s beauty.

Quatre was wearing his white body suit with the cutouts over his shoulders and sides, exposing his flawless pale skin and his white glowing bodylines. A light grey cape hung against his back, the hood folded and draped gently to the side. The reflection from the water's surface danced up against his face and hair, illuminating the blonde tresses that fell loosely around his features, bangs hovering over the smoky black and silver makeup around his eyes.

Trowa quickened his pace.

Quatre stood up and wiped his wet hand on his cape, his round lips spreading into a welcoming smile. “Trowa.”

Trowa stood in front of him and looked down intently. “Quatre,” he called him by his chosen name, which was more personal than his program name. He watched as the ISO lifted his hand up and ran his fingers over his cheek, down the bruises on his neck, over the repair code covering his wound.

Quatre frowned. “You’re hurt.” Despite this observation it seemed as if Trowa was functioning at full capacity. As his fingers touched the smooth flesh he took the readings on his servant’s system. _He should be lagging and in need of a soft reset after such a long trip away, but instead his energy levels feel normal. Strange…_

The program had been receiving a reset from someone else, Quatre noted silently. Trowa never reset with anyone else. This was new, and the feeling of jealousy flared up in the ISO’s stomach, but he quickly lulled it. He pulled his hand away and gave the other a knowing look.

“I’m… okay.” Trowa rest his hand on Quatre’s arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He couldn’t take his eyes off the other. He had missed him.

“It’s good to have you back,” the blonde said sincerely, the expression in his eyes mirroring his soft, pleased smile. “The council was just talking about you. D-FILE chatter has been picked up about a User on the loose, and three fugitives crossing the border into the Outlands. The council is convinced that you were being followed here…” he crossed his thin arms over his chest and his gentle face hardened with determination. “I told them you would never be so careless.”

Trowa held back a cringe at the word ‘careless’. Normally he was anything but careless, but he’d felt distracted this entire trip, and knew he’d made a few mistakes. The council thought so little of him already, he didn’t want to prove that they were right. “I’m sorry it took me longer than usual to get back. I brought two guests with me. A program and… the User.” 

Quatre’s expression shifted from surprise to intense shock, and then to utter exhilaration. “You actually HAVE a User?” He couldn’t contain his excitement. His arms dropped from their fold over his chest, his pale fingers pressing firmly into Trowa’s damp chest as if to urge him into telling him more. “Where did it come from? How did it get in? What’s it like?”

“He’s interesting.” Trowa said, for lack of better words. Quatre’s excitement was contagious and he found himself smiling back at him. “His name is Duo. He’s nice and likes to talk a lot. Cracks lots of jokes… Says a lot of stuff I don’t understand. Bou took him to the barracks to rest up, but he’s eager to meet you.” His arms snaked around the other’s waist to hold him steady. “I knew you’d want to meet him, so I had to bring him back.”

Quatre leaned into Trowa’s body, enjoying the strong arms around him. It had been a long time since he had seen him, a few months seemed like forever. Whenever Trowa left for runs to Tron City he always found himself completely alone. It was a strange thing to be surrounded night and day by people sworn to protect you, and yet be unable to connect with any of them. They were friendly enough, and he could have polite conversation with the Guards of Aether and members of the city council, but at the end of the day when he came back to his rooms he was always alone.

Except when Trowa was there. He had company, someone to talk to, someone to touch and be touched by. He sighed and studied the damp, disheveled face in front of him. Despite the bruises and battle scars Trowa was the most handsome, striking program Quatre had ever met. There was more to him than just his exterior. He had a sensitivity about him, a worldly understanding that he just couldn’t find in anyone else. He was the only program he had met who could be gentle and intimidating at the same time. Those qualities made him the perfect escort for programs seeking asylum and escape from the Grid. He could be trusted, he cared about everyone, but if he was crossed he could transform into a fearsome fighter, a force not to be reckoned with.

Quatre lifted a pale hand to caress Trowa’s chin, his fingertip ghosting over the bruises on his neck and throat once more. The bruises were seeking his attention, mainly because he had never seen Trowa return so marred before.

“Trowa… this bruise looks like a hand,” he said worriedly as he carefully traced the finger marks left on the Runner’s normally flawless skin. “Who did this to you?”

“We got held up on the way here… stopped by some Outlanders. It’s not a big deal. I’ll heal…” It was a half-lie. Trowa wasn’t ready to tell the full truth, wasn’t ready to explain his new lover to his master. He was hesitant to bring Heero up at all just yet. “I completed the run and both guests have no visible or lasting injuries.” Despite the markings on his own body, he had been successful.

Quatre knew that Trowa was avoiding telling him the full story about what had happened. He suspected it was to protect him, to keep him from getting upset. It was something the Runner always did, though this time he felt like there was more than just a simple ‘we got held up’ going on here, but he would let it go. He didn’t want to interrogate him on things he wasn’t comfortable discussing, nor did he want to ruin their reunion with awkward, difficult conversation. He’d get the details from his servant later.

“You truly are an amazing program,” Quatre murmured, thankful for the sacrifices the Runner made to bring programs safely to his asylum. The corner of his soft lips perked suggestively. “Do you need a reset?” He tested the waters, wanting to see what Trowa would say. It was obvious he wasn’t in need of one and Quatre wondered when he’d explain himself. Even though the program’s energy levels were functioning well, Quatre still wanted to reset him. He needed the intimacy with the other.  

“I would like to take this wet light suit off.” Trowa admitted, unwrapping his arms from around Quatre’s waist. He felt the other take his hand and tug him in the direction of his villa. It was obvious the ISO wanted to soft reset him, and while he’d normally be more than willing because this is what they did after his runs, he felt hesitant. He needed to tell Quatre about Heero. He didn’t want to be dishonest with either of them. But for now he simply followed behind the other, letting Quatre pull him away from the pool.

Quatre led Trowa through a narrow passageway lined with three dimensional three foot square tiles. The tiles were carved from iridescent white stone, and upon each was a different depiction of a flower, tree, mountain or landscape as described by books that Quatre had read. Books that Kevin Flynn had brought Radia about the User world. Quatre had created each tile himself, inspired by poems and images depicting the natural wonders of that distant universe.

The walk to his quarters was a short one. Soon they were at his front door, a flush double door that slid open as he touched it. He led Trowa through the familiar sitting area with white and silver swirled marble floors and long, sleek and modern grey, pale blue and white furniture and to his room, which was adorned in a similar style. More art, self-created, hung all over the walls and covered every flat table top. Vases, sculptures, and creations made of various local mediums.

The rear of the room held a raised platform with a large sunken bed, covered in shimmery white satin blankets and stacks of pale blue pillows. Quatre called it his ‘nest’, having designed it after a concept in a nature book about a foreign creature called a ‘bird’. He pulled Trowa along, up the two steps to the bed and grabbed the other gently by the arms, yanking him down with him. He fell onto his back, pulling Trowa down on top of him.

Trowa looked down at the familiar sight of the lovely ISO lying underneath him. He knew what was expected of him, what the ISO wanted, and he wouldn’t and couldn’t deny the blonde anything. But his mind started drifting to the blue-eyed program waiting for him back in the barracks, and his chest suddenly ached for the other’s company.

He loved Quatre, but not in the same way his master loved him, which was something Trowa struggled with daily. Out of all the programs under Aether, the ISO had chosen him to share his affection, and he was a fool, unable to equally match the other’s desire. Quatre was perfect in every way. Selfless, caring, independent, responsible, wise. A lot of programs relied on him for their existence and he carried so much weight on his shoulders, but he carried in a way that looked effortless. And he was beautiful, so physically stunning… He was practically a god to all his followers.

Trowa was pulled out of his thoughts when Quatre reached up to grab the identity disc from his back. His master held it to the side, tilting his head to look at it. “You wanted that wet light suit off.” The blonde murmured, activating Trowa’s code and swiping his long finger until he found what he was looking for. A satisfied smile crept to his lips as Trowa’s light suit started to pixelate and dissolve off his body, leaving him naked except for the scattered bruises painted across his flesh.

That smile was soon replaced with a worried expression as the ISOs eyes gazed over all the bruising. “No good…” Quatre raised his right hand and touched his fingertips to the bruising around Trowa’s thighs, which disturbed him the most. Someone had manhandled his servant.

He closed his eyes and pressed his index and pointer finger into the sore flesh, listening to Trowa hiss softly at the pressure. Quatre channeled his energy into his fingertips and slowly the bruising started to fade under a white glow, until it was completely gone.

Trowa looked down in awe, watching the ISO’s hand move over his body and eliminate each bruise like it had never happened. The fingers slid up to his neck last, removing the possessive hand prints that covered the delicate flesh. “Thank you…” he breathed.

Quatre offered a soft smile before pulling the other down for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around Trowa’s shoulders, wanting to feel that lean body against his own. The embrace was gentle and welcoming, and Trowa willingly sank down against him, absorbing his peaceful energy.

He reached behind Quatre’s back and slipped his disc off, setting it aside. His hands moved over the submissive body below him, untying the cape and working at the white suit until he had completely removed his master’s clothes. Trowa felt Quatre’s legs part beneath him and his hips settled between silky thighs.

The ISO lifted his head off the soft covers and captured Trowa’s lips in another kiss, coaxing him to take his reset. His hand slid down to grip Trowa’s semi hard arousal, skillfully manipulating it until it was ready. He wanted to feel the other inside of him, wanted to soothe and bring pleasure to his loyal servant.

Trowa obediently guided himself to his partner’s entrance and pushed inside him slowly, being careful to let his master adjust. He moaned against Quatre’s lips and felt his body’s natural reflexes take over, hips rocking as he pushed in and out of the tightness that cradled him. In minutes he was on his way to a reset, moving fervently while he chased after his orgasm.

 

* * *

 

The barracks room Heero had been led to was much different from the one he had once occupied back at D-FILE headquarters. The rooms here in the hidden Aether underground city were designed with rounded ceilings and walls. Heero soon realized since his arrival there were no inverted corners in any of the rooms Everything was round, smooth, soft-looking. Everything in Aether felt natural, as if it had been formed by the Grid itself, as opposed to the drawn lines and manufactured like the buildings and skyscrapers of Tron City.

Bou gave Heero an amused smirk and a knowing look before he left him in what was announced as Trowa’s barracks room. The smooth, cool walls were carved from a pale, cream-colored stone and there was nothing in the room except a full-sized bed and a ledge built into the wall above it where one could dock their identity disc. The door behind Heero hissed to a close. He was now alone within the hive of the enemy. _I could seek out the Gate myself,_ was his immediate thought. _I could finish this now. It has to be closeby._ But was it accessible without the ISO Elios? Was it even here within this vast complex? He would have to lie in wait just a little longer.

Which is what he really wanted. He didn’t want this daydream life willed with companionship to end. He crossed the small room until he was beside the bed and stood there staring down at it’s crisply tucked white and grey sheets with a frown. He found himself wishing that he HAD been a guard of Aether. That his cover story, the fabricated lie he had been programmed to supply, was real. What would it be like to live with other programs like this, with friends, with familiars? Heero had only been at D-FILE for a short time before being deployed out into the Grid in search of the Runner and the Gate. He hadn’t bonded with anyone. He had hardly spoken to anyone. Now he had a companion, and this particular program did things, physical things, to his body that made him _feel_ better. He felt amazing, and yet his directive demanded he deny all of these positive things. He wasn’t supposed to be here in another program’s room. He wasn’t supposed to be having sex with another program, despite his insistence to himself that it was just for his mission.  
  
He felt guilty about all of it; deceiving Trowa, denying his new directive to kill the other program. He couldn’t do that. He had tried, his hand had been steeled and ready to strike, but he couldn’t bring his fingers together to snap the Runner’s neck. He couldn’t derez him.

Heero sighed. _I’m a failure,_ he thought. _I have failed to kill the Runner. I’ve yet to deliver the User, and I haven’t destroyed the Gate._ But he would. He was more determined than ever to finish his original directive. He was ready to destroy the Gate, and he would do it at all costs. He may have failed to derez Trowa, but this he could do. Destroying the Gate would redeem him. He would destroy it before Duo could pass through, and then deliver the User to D-FILE.

 _And then I will take Trowa away from here,_ he decided, determined. _I can’t live without him._ He couldn’t. For some inexplicable reason he _needed_ the other program. He needed him to reset, to run optimally, to feel normal. _I need him to be happy._

Heero disengaged his disc from his back and set it on the docking space over the bed. He reached out a finger to manipulate the holographic menu and felt the relief that came from his light suit vanishing from his constricted, slightly-damp skin. He rolled his bare shoulders slowly, stretching the thickened skin of the wide, dark scar on his shoulder blade. It still burned with an uncomfortable stinging sensation that emanated from its central strip. A faint, hot, angry heat nagged at him from it, as if the secret of its origin was desperately attempting to push its way out. Naked, tired and confused, he dropped down under the cool covers of the bed and pulled the edge of the blanket up over his face in an attempt to hide from everything. He had to hide himself from the guards, his identity from his new lover, and his true feelings from everyone lest he be derezzed by the enemy or re-rectified by D-file. Heero was weary of hiding, but it was all he knew how to do.


	12. Chapter 12

Trowa lay in Quatre’s bed for a few hours, unable to hibernate. The ISO was peacefully asleep next to him, hand curled within the sheet that was draped over Trowa’s bare chest. Trowa stared up at the rounded ceiling, eyes occasionally glancing over to the window across the room. The underground city had dimmed, lights reflecting the current time. Normally he would be fast asleep after a reset, but his mind wouldn’t settle and his system continued running at full speed. He felt different this time. The reset had cleared his temporary data as it always did, but he didn’t feel as energized as he had his last couple resets with Heero.

 _Odd,_ Trowa thought as he worried his bottom lip with his teeth and narrowed his emerald green eyes at the ceiling in thought. He wondered why there was a difference. The actions he had done with Elios were the same as those he had done with Heero, weren’t they? It couldn’t be that he was in a different position each time. He had felt the same invigoration both when he was being taken by Heero, and when he was the one who had doing the penetrating. So why after having this connection with Quatre did he not feel the same as he did after being with Heero?

His body demanded that he be near the other program. He needed to find Heero. He was becoming more and more dependent by the day and it was clear his body wouldn’t let him rest until he was lying next to his new lover. Trowa sat up and carefully untangled his limbs from his master’s. He tucked the covers around Quatre’s hibernating form before quietly sliding out of the big bed, grabbing his disc, and clothing himself in his light suit.

The city was asleep by the time Trowa had left Quatre’s quarters and he was the only program out walking around the deserted streets. He preferred this peaceful state, and took his time as he made his way to the barracks. He wondered if Heero was having trouble hibernating, too, or if he’d be asleep when he got to his barracks room. It was going to be hard balancing his time between his master and his lover, especially if they both required his presence in bed. Trowa was uncertain of how this would all work out, but he wanted to give it a try. He wanted Heero, and he hoped that he would accept that he had two roles to play.

 

* * *

 

Ancile had no idea how long he’d been lying there, how many hours or days had passed since being detained in this small room. The bright white walls mocked his disposition and the ambient lighting was deriding. He was in agony, consumed by a residual sharp pain that spread from the gaping hole in his chest where his heart used to be.

Reality was slipping through the thin cracks of his fragmented mind. Anguish, confusion, loneliness, grief, fear. These emotions tormented the otherwise stoically composed program. Often he was seized by silent fits of weeping, unable to stop the tears that ran down his cheeks and pooled on the surface below his head. Through the bewildered haze Ancile recognized that he was wasting away. _Is this what dying feels like?_

The cause of his agony was his missing other half. Aegis was gone. It had been too long since Ancile had felt the other’s presence. The invisible thread that bound them together was severed. He was told his partner had likely been derezzed after falling from the cliff during the fight, that he was no more and they couldn’t save him. Ancile was now a singular unit, no longer part of a programmed binary pair. The problem was he couldn’t function as a singular unit. Without the ability to reset, his system was starting to glitch and his mind was shattering.

Ancile couldn’t move. They had strapped him down to whatever platform he was laying on, restraining him at the wrists and ankles. Apparently he had gone crazy and this was for his own good as much as it was for the safety of others. The decision was made after he had assaulted one of his fellow Aether Guards for not letting him leave the facility to search for his partner, threatening to self-destruct if they wouldn't let him go.

All he could do now was lie there and wait for whatever fate awaited him. Would they derez or reprogram him? Would they let him take his life out of his own free will? Ancile was useless without Aegis. He felt his mind slipping even further away from his grasp the longer he laid immobile. _If only they would let me end this suffering…_

The soft whoosh of the automatic door sliding open caught Ancile’s attention. His head rolled to the side, emerald green eyes seeking out whoever was entering the room. _Someone has come to end me._

 

Elios removed the hood from his head as he stepped into the room, freeing his disheveled golden locks and exposing the distress and worry written on his tired face. His mind was still processing the events that had taken place not terribly long ago: the attack on Arija City and the genocide of all ISOs. When once there had been hundreds of his kind, now there was only one known to be remaining. Him. The destruction and loss of so many souls weighed heavy on Elios’s heart.  

As he approached the figure lying strapped on the platform he was careful to put his emotions at bay. He needed to be strong for the others, needed to be strong for Ancile. When his gaze rest on the broken program in front of him, Elios almost lost his guise. He’d never seen the other in this state before, and it was heartbreaking. His servant lay there with dull eyes, chapped lips parted slightly as he stared off into nothingness. When he finally noticed there was another presence in the room, Ancile looked at Elios as if he didn’t recognize him.

“Ancile…” The ISO stood in front of the platform, reaching out to put a cool hand on the program’s damp cheek. As soon as their flesh made contact Elios felt a surge of emotions rush into his system. Ancile was hurting, suffering from the loss of his partner. The level of pain was unbearable, and Elios had to remove his hand to disconnect before the pain threatened to consume him. A single tear slid down his porcelain cheek, but he managed to keep his expression focused and still. _Oh Ancile, your love is gone and you cannot be without him. You’ve given up…_

“Take the pain away, Elios. End this, please…” The plea lifted gently from Ancile’s mouth and floated up into the air. His brows furrowed and he locked his eyes on his Master Controller’s. “Let me go.”

It was difficult for Elios to see Ancile in this state. He had never seen him so broken, so weakened, before. The guard program was normally a stoic, capable, ruthless warrior who hardly flinched in the face of battle, and yet here he was, lying flat on his back, helpless, begging for the pain to stop.

It was a stark contrast to what he had been during the fight against Clu during The Purge. Ancile had lost Aegis, but he had hardened his expression and carried on fighting without hesitation. He had managed to help escort the remaining programs to safety before he vanished. A few hours later they found him sitting alone, his eyes glossy, staring off at a distant point. Still, unblinking. When the guards tried to move him he had lashed out at them aggressively. He wouldn’t move and had insisted that Aegis was out there, and that he needed to wait for him to return. The guards had gone back to the site where Aegis had fallen and had found nothing. He was gone, and despite all of the evidence that pointed to him being derezzed Ancile still wouldn’t accept it. He was in denial.

Ancile’s erratic behavior became out of control and violent. He couldn’t be reasoned with and soon he wouldn’t respond to commands, even from Elios. The Council of Aether met to discuss his future and after hours of debate the majority vote was in favor of Ancile’s destruction. He was a threat to the guards, he wouldn’t see reason, and it was clear that he was suffering.

They had scheduled for him to be derezzed in the morning. The decision had stricken Elios to the core. How fair was it to take the life of a program just because he was suffering? He had plead for Ancile’s life. After falling to his knees in front of the council and presenting his case they reluctantly agreed to allow Elios to perform his alternative. It was the only way Ancile would be free to remain on the Grid and continue to serve as a guard of Aether.

Ancile would be given a mercy wipe. All memories of Aegis would be removed from him, as well as portions of his core code that made him a binary unit.

Elios knew that to make this decision for Ancile was a selfish one. It was clear that the program wanted to be destroyed. He no longer had the will to go on, but he couldn’t let them take him. Ancile was unique, brilliant and much too precious to simply be wiped off of the Grid.

“I can’t let you go,” Elios replied, his voice calm and steady despite the utter anguish those words inspired within him. “You’re going to be okay, Ancile. Soon you won’t feel any more pain.”

He grabbed Ancile’s identity disc from the dock attached to the platform and turned it over onto its side. The disc had a hairline crack down it’s center, a memento from the perilous battle where he had lost his lover. Elios’s pale fingers traced across the commands and stirred up the material codes in search of the segment that controlled the binary program’s interlocked memories.

“He’s there, I can feel him,” Ancile murmured weakly, his eyes pooling with tears. “Believe me…”

Elios frowned and continued to seek out the source of the binary’s memories. Ancile had been lamenting that same sentiment ever since he had lost Aegis. He would speak of nothing else. “I’m sorry, Ancile… please understand,” Elios tried to keep his voice steady, but he felt his throat begin to tighten with every syllable. “He’s gone, and if I don’t do this… you’ll be gone, too.”

_And I can’t stand to lose you both._

The glistening binary source code soon made itself known in the center of the disc. He dipped his thin fingertip into the center and curled it around until it caught firmly around his finger. He heard Ancile gasp at the intrusion and saw his arms begin to tense against his restraints. “I’ll make this quick. I promise, this will be over soon…” Elios murmured in his best reassuring voice. He steadied his hand and began to pull it away from the disc. The bright, golden stream of code stretched from the center of the hologram, pulling tightly as he gradually dragged it out of his system.

The binary program arched his back against the platform and thrashed his head from side to side, his jaw clenched, arms and legs trembling as the fixed code was slowly being ripped out of him. It was integral to who he was, and it contained every bit of data that connected him to his long lost partner.

“Please don’t do this…” Ancile groaned, his voice cracking. “Don’t… don’t take him… it’s all I have left.” Faintly glowing cyan blue tears rushed down the sides of his face, painting splotchy patterns behind his head. “No…”

Elios continued to pull, his arm straining against the resistance of the hologram as the thread of code gradually began to slide free. A soft sob racked his throat and he felt his eyes begin to burn. He hadn’t expected this to be so difficult. Seeing his friend anguishing was the saddest thing he had ever witnessed. “Ancile, please, just hold still… hold on,” he pleaded to him in a shaken voice.

Finally the code stretched thin, and with a pop and snap it broke free from the disc. As it did Ancile screamed, his voice unlike anything Elios had ever heard in his existence. He watched as the binary thrashed violently against his restraints, sobs shaking his torso, and then just as suddenly as the movement had started it stopped. He fell limp, sinking back into the platform, his dull green eyes staring up at the ceiling. Ancile had tripped into a full system reset. This mercy memory wipe was complete.

Elios clutched the other program’s identity disc tightly in his trembling hands and watched as the dullness in Ancile’s eyes shifted, the deep green color brightening as the pupils dilated, shifted and constricted. The program tilted his head and stared at him, his expression peaceful and relaxed.

“Elios…” Ancile murmured, his voice it’s normal brand of sensibility and calm. “What’s wrong?”

The tears that Elios had been holding back finally burst forth from his eyes. Ancile’s fractured disc slipped from his hands and clattered to the floor at his feet. He buried his face in his hands. He couldn’t bear to look at him. “Ancile, please forgive me…”

 

* * *

 

With an electric charge Quatre jolted up in bed, sheets tangled around his pale limbs like an invisible enemy holding him down. He was shaking. The dream, or rather, distant memory, had sprung up out of nowhere and startled him to the core. His digital pulse raced and it took his eyes a second to adjust to the darkness of the room. Trowa was gone and he was alone in bed.

Quatre brought a hand up to his forehead, brushing strands of hair away. _I had suppressed that memory… locked it away... why has it come back?_ There was a sudden but familiar presence within Aether and he couldn’t place it, but it had emerged earlier that day, nagging at his conscience like an unraveling thread. Maybe the program Trowa had brought back? Who was it? _Where has Trowa gone?_

 

* * *

 

The dark halls of the barracks were empty. Trowa’s feet stepped soundlessly over the illuminated bright white tiles of the hallway, making his way down to his room. He barely spent time here, as he was either out on runs or over at Elios’s. He couldn’t remember the state he had left his room in the last time he’d been home. The program stopped outside room 301 and placed his hand on the identity pad next to the door. The computer system recognized him immediately, and the white door slid open, granting him access.

Upon entering Trowa saw Heero curled up under the covers in his bed, his back facing the door. It looked like the other was asleep. He slipped his disc off his back and deactivated his light suit, then walked over to the window ledge to dock it next to Heero’s, movements quiet and stealthy so as not to disturb the other.

Heero hadn’t slept at all but merely fell into a trance-like state and stared at the wall opposite of the bed. He had managed to shut his mind down, to dampen his anxieties. When he heard the door to the room open and a figure step inside he knew that it was Trowa. His body could recognize the other program’s presence, his energy.

As Trowa neared the bed he felt it shift behind him as the weight of the other program pressed into it, He pushed himself up to a sit and turned to face him, his eyes tired and expression weary.

“Where were you?” He had assumed that he was busy doing guard duties, but after a while the city itself deactivated, which left him wondering where his new lover had been toted off too. He noticed immediately that Trowa’s bruises on his neck, the bruises he had left on him, were gone. He raised an eyebrow as he realized this but said nothing of them.

“With Elios.” Trowa tucked his knees under himself as he sat there facing Heero. He noticed the messy state of his lover’s hair and smiled, reaching out to run his fingers through it. Now that they were alone and in a safe place, Trowa felt more free with his affection. “You couldn’t hibernate?”

“Mn… no.” Heero replied. The feeling of Trowa’s long, cool fingers running through his hair sent a pleasant tingle across his scalp. He involuntarily tilted his head with his caress, his dark Prussian blue eyes peering up at him questioningly through his disheveled bangs.

“You told Elios about me?” he asked, in reference to the fact that his cover story was that he was a former guard of Aether. D-FILE had given him his cover story and Heero knew that his identity disc was coded with the identifier for the guard, but he was worried about meeting the ISO. Would he be able to see through his thin story? Would he be able to detect his lies? Heero didn’t know much about ISOs, but he _did_ know that according to D-FILE they had advanced abilities over regular programs. They had warned him to be careful.

“Yes. I’m taking you and Duo to him tomorrow.” Trowa could tell that Heero was nervous, and he wondered why. He wrapped his arms around the other and pulled him into an embrace. “You look tired…”

“And you don’t,” Heero murmured in reply, speaking aloud his observation that Trowa looked great. He seemed fully reset, energized and completely healed. He wondered for a moment if Aether had a way of healing and recharging their members so quickly. If that was so, then why hadn’t Trowa offered for him to use it yet?  
  
He slid his arms around Trowa’s torso and felt the usual static attraction between them suck his chest forward until it was nestled firmly against the taller program’s. The golden warmth Heero had come to crave began to spread through him, spreading from the central point of their connection at his sternum.

“When do we go to the Gate?” Heero’s directive demanded that he ask. He posed the question half-heartedly before burying his face into Trowa’s neck as if to absorb the other program’s intense, powerful verve.

“I don’t know… I need to discuss it with Elios. I’m not sure when it can be opened next. Why are you worried about the Gate? You’re staying here with me… In Aether.” Trowa ran his hands over the smooth expanse of Heero’s back, fingers tracing the outlines of his light lines. He could feel his energy transfer into the other program’s system, filling his reserves slowly. It was a tingling sensation, like little tiny threads were leaping off his body and attaching to Heero’s. The sensation was warm.

“I thought I’d go with you when you send Duo back,” Heero added, a half-truth. His back automatically arched under Trowa’s touch, forcing their bare chests even further into one another. “I’ve grown attached to him. I would like to see him off,” he added. That was the truth. Despite his strange words and odd behavior Heero couldn’t help but think of the night they had spent with the globits. Watching the User surrounded by flitting points of yellow light gave him a new perspective of him. He was filled with wonder and life, something Heero admired. Something he yearned for, too.

He pressed his palms firmly into Trowa’s back for a moment, sighing at how comfortable it felt to be against him, and then twisted both of their bodies to gradually lower the other program down onto his back against the mattress, never once breaking the pressure of their combined bodies. He applied his weight fully to Trowa’s longer form, dragged his lips across his neck and up to his jaw until they stopped to rest at the soft skin just behind his ear. He nuzzled the flesh there and closed his eyes.

“You can come.” Trowa murmured, noticing how gentle Heero’s touches were that night, a stark contrast to their rough love making the night before. “Heero…” His lips parted and his tongue rest on the roof of his mouth as he thought about what to say next. “You know I… sleep with Elios from time to time. When he wants it.” He thought he’d been transparent about it from the start, although he’d never come out and directly said it. “That’s where I was tonight… But, when I’m with him, it’s nothing like when I’m with you. I don’t….. feel the same way towards him.” Now he was rambling. Trowa sorted through his thoughts, trying to come to a better understanding of his emotions. He had to be honest with the other.

Heero’s eyes opened slightly and he pulled his arms out from around him to press his palms into the mattress at either side of his head. He frowned as he pushed himself away just enough so they were face to face, his dark eyes studying the other program’s, seeking out his meaning.  
  
“You’re in a relationship, then?” He didn’t understand what he was saying. “Or is this part of your duties as a guard?”

They needed to define ‘relationship’. Yes, Trowa was technically in a relationship with Elios, but it was complicated. He had always been free to find other programs to be intimate with, he’d just never done it. “Both… It’s my duty to serve him in whatever way he wants. That includes sex.” Trowa watched as Heero’s frown deepened. “But I’m not committed. Elios knows that… He knows I can’t be with him in that way. I can’t be with him in the same way I am with you. I’ve never felt this before- the way I feel when I’m around you. I’ve never been dependent on someone else like this…”

“You love him, though, don’t you?” Heero felt a weird energy come from Trowa when he spoke of the ISO Elios. He didn’t know how to interpret it. The way the Runner spoke his leader’s name was with fondness, affection. It wasn’t your typical cold, logical expression most programs used when referring to others.

“Yes.” Trowa wouldn’t lie. He looked up at the other, searching his face for any signs of rejection. “I love him… but he doesn’t hold my heart.”

Heero worried his lower lip with his teeth and narrowed his eyes at him, trying to decide how he should feel about this. A foreign emotion was nagging him, pressing into his thoughts. Jealousy? He wasn’t experienced with feeling this way about anyone. His limited experience with other programs left him unable to cope, unable to make decisions and react appropriately.

Trowa’s expression was open, honest, and somewhat apologetic. The idea that this program felt the need to apologize for loving someone made his chest ache. Trowa had a lot of love for others, that was clear. If that was part of who he was, then he couldn’t punish him for it.

“I don’t know how I should feel about this,” Heero answered honestly, his eyebrows gathering together with confusion. “It is upsetting me,” he murmured, perplexed. He felt a tightness forming in the back of his throat.

“Please don’t be upset.” The last thing Trowa wanted to do right now was hurt the other. He tried to explain himself better. “The love I feel for Elios is an uncommitted love. It’s built on friendship, companionship, servitude. I… I think I’m falling in love with you, and it’s a different kind of love. It’s a romantic, passionate, sexual love.” He was exposing himself to the other and it was hard for Trowa to be this vulnerable and transparent. “I will always love Elios, but not as a committed partner. I want committed love with you, if you’ll have me…”

Despite Trowa’s pleas for him not to be, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of hurt at the thought of having to share his lover with someone else. He hadn’t ever had anyone to himself, at least not that he could remember, and yet this entire experience with Trowa involved him having to share the other program with others. His attentions were diverted to Duo, he was affectionate with Wufei and now he was being told that he would have to compete for intimacy with the ISO.

He felt foolish for being upset about this at all. _If he is close to the Gatekeeper Elios, and I have to kill the Gatekeeper, he’ll never forgive me._ The thought struck him hard and made him feel dizzy. No matter how he tried to reason this situation, no matter what plan he formulated, it was still going to end in disaster. He was going to be alone again. _So why bother being upset about this, if this isn’t meant to last…_

That was what hurt the most. That no matter what happened, this was going to end. _He’ll despise me, and I won’t be able to kill him to keep him from hating me for this. For knowing what I must do, what I have intended to do ever since we first met._

“I can’t remember having loved anyone before,” Heero explained plainly in an attempt to silence the storm of emotion occluding his logical, directive-driven thoughts. “I don’t know what it is supposed to be. If it is thinking of someone obsessively when they’re gone, being stricken with awe when they return, wanting them near, and yearning for the sound of their voice, their touch, their affection… then I’ve been loving you, Trowa.” _If I only have a short time left in this world, in this dream, I’m going to make the most of it,_ Heero told himself.

Strange liquid formed in the corners of Trowa’s eyes. He blinked and reached a finger up to wipe the wetness away, never breaking eye contact with his lover. The program hovering above him, that he’d only known for a week, drew the most intense feelings out of his system like no one else could. Trowa couldn’t remember the last time he had cried.

“Look at what you do to me…” A smile spread across his lips and he couldn’t help but laugh at his pathetic state.

Heero’s frown lightened some at Trowa’s laugh. It was a stunning, musical sound and as it came from the other program’s body he was graced with the loveliest smile he had ever seen.  
  
“I can’t tell you that I am happy about having to share you with someone else,” Heero explained candidly, his expression reflecting the seriousness of his words. “But if that is what you must do, then I can’t stop you. I won’t love you any less for it, though.”

He shifted his weight onto one arm and let his free hand raise to caress Trowa’s flat, smooth cheek with his fingertips. “You may need to serve your Master… our Master in this way, but you’re mine now. You’ve always been mine. There’s no going back,” he murmured. If it was going to have to be this way, so be it. He would make the most of this short-lived situation the best he knew how. “I do want to know one thing. Is he better than me?” He raised an eyebrow for emphasis.

“It’s not comparable…” For one, Trowa never bottomed with Elios. And the love making with Heero was always much more passionate and urgent. Trowa raised his hips off the bed and rubbed them against his partner. “Sex with you… is indescribable.” 

“That’s all I need to hear,” Heero said in a slow, seductive tone. He nudged his growing arousal against Trowa’s stomach and leaned down to forcefully claim his lover’s mouth with his own. He explored his lips, tasted his tongue and devoured the sharp arcs of energy that poured out of Trowa’s hot, sweet mouth. Finally he broke the kiss, gasped and said breathlessly, “now, I think I’m overdue for a reset.”


	13. Chapter 13

The following morning both Heero and Trowa met up with Duo in the hallway outside of his barrack room. Duo had slept like the dead, his hibernation having felt like it lasted only a few seconds before he was up and ready to go. He dressed in his light suit, clipped his disc to his back and had ducked through the door into the hall just as Trowa and Heero were on approach, walking side by side. Duo noticed they both seemed well rested. Heero’s eyes were glistening, darting around looking more alert than he had ever seen him. Trowa appeared radiant, his skin putting off a soft glow, all of his bruises from their travel ordeals were gone.

“Yo, ‘sup! Good morning, you two,” he greeted them as they approached. He cracked his knuckles and grinned. “We gonna meet this magical Elios guy or what? Man, I can’t WAIT to meet a real ISO!” He was fanboying again.

Heero felt energized and alert, this was true, but his body ached from the furious, passionate sex he had with his lover the night before. He had spent the majority of the night showing Trowa just how much he loved him, and had made certain to claim every inch of his lithe, beautiful figure with his mouth.

He stopped in front of Duo and gave him a nod in greeting, crossed his arms over his chest and cast a glance at Trowa, who was his usual calm, cool and collected self. The corner of Heero’s lips perked slightly as his eyes settled on the marks of his claim, three light bruises on the stoic Runner’s normally even, smooth throat.

Heero wasn’t sorry for any of it.

“He is very excited to meet you, too.” Trowa smiled at Duo, glad the User was looking forward to meeting his Master Controller. “Come on. Elios will be at the temple this morning. We can catch him there.” 

“Yeah, well I haven’t been gettin’ much of a star treatment since I got here. So far so good here in Aether, that guy Bou even offered to give me a back massage last night,” Duo said cheerfully as he fell into step beside Trowa. At the Runner’s raised eyebrow and curious glance he started to laugh and shook his head. “Nah, I’m just kiddin’. The User folded his arms behind his head as he walked, his long braided hair swinging like a tail happily behind him. “You guys sleep good or what? Looks like Heero was tryin’ to eat you alive,” Duo said to Trowa with a chuckle.

Heero rolled his eyes as he trailed along behind them and took in the scene that was the hidden city of Aether underground. The ceiling glowed so brightly with a white-yellow simulation sun that even squinting Heero couldn’t see the roof. He had never been anywhere so bright before, and he raised his hand to shield his eyes as they traveled through the radiantly glowing city.

Duo was happy. He flung his arms up over his head and pointed his fingers up at the simulation sun. “Now this is what I’m talkin’ about,” he exclaimed cheerfully. “This! It’s not quite as intense but hell if it isn’t close! This is what I’m used to. Back on my island we’ve got this kind of light, and it reflects off of the ocean, a big pool of water, and it shines so bright it burns your skin. See how I’m darker than you two? It’s because of our light back home. Man… I miss it.”  
  
The trio traveled across the city towards the Temple of Radia, a massive cathedral-style structure carved out of ivory stone. The massive pillars beside the entryway were laden with sculpted figures of ISOs and mythical creatures who seemed to leap out of waves, frothy and foaming. Duo paused just beside the door to point out the waves and depiction of the sea. “Holy shit, you have an ocean? Wait a minute… is this the Sea of Stimulation? I read about this…”

Heero crossed his arms as they entered the temple. Pale, skinny figures clad in white, flowing, hooded robes fluttered here and there in the rounded corners of the massive space. Floating hexagonal lanterns were scattered across the ceiling, dipping and dropping as they emptied and required recharge. A program dressed like a Franciscan monk was tending to the falling lanterns, setting them on pedestals to re-energize. They passed through the center of the temple and as they reached the rear of the space a massive white statue filled the rear wall from floor to ceiling. It was a peaceful-looking depiction of a woman, a female program. Heero assumed it was Radia herself, considering the temple’s namesake. Crouched in front of the statue was a white-clad figure, draped in a gauzy cloak, it’s hood pulled up over its face. Trowa stopped them at the bottom of the five marble steps that led to the statue. Heero glanced to his right and saw Duo was fidgeting nervously, his eyes studying his surroundings like a convict on the run.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Heero murmured just loud enough for Duo to hear him.  
  
“Uh… I dunno, this feels weird. I feel like I should be crossin’ myself. I mean… this is an altar, right? Do I bow at it? Sign of the cross, kiss my fingers?”

“... what?”

“It’s customary to bow when approaching, but Elios isn’t fond of that.” Trowa turned to his two companions. “Stay here. I will go let him know we are here.”

He walked up the marble stairs slowly and waited until the cloaked figure finished his meditation. Elios knelt with his eyes closed, his entire posture still and silent. Trowa kept some distance so he did not disturb him.

Elios felt his servant’s presence immediately. He placed his palms on the cool floor and opened his eyes, turning his head slightly to glance over his shoulder. “Trowa.” In one graceful motion, he stood up and slid the hood from his head, holding his hands out so the other could take them.

Trowa approached and slid his hands over the other’s, holding them gently. “Sorry to disrupt you. I have some guests here to meet you. Is now an alright time?”

“You brought the User and the program? I’d love to see them.” Elios’s eyes darted past Trowa’s tall frame in search of their guests. “Now is a fine time.”

Duo gave the blonde a little wave in greeting from his spot at the bottom of the steps. Heero crossed his arms over his chest, in contrast not as cheerful or friendly as his companion. He stood just behind the User, out of direct sight.

“Hey, uh… hi, Elios, right?” Duo’s back straightened and he bent at the waist with his head bowed in what he interpreted as a respectful gesture. Despite Trowa’s warning not to he felt obligated in the presence of such an ethereal, gorgeous creature. Even though Elios appeared kind and approachable, his pale and porcelain appearance made him seem fragile and angelic. Duo was a little intimidated. “I’m Duo. Duo Maxwell. You can call me Duo, or Maxwell…. Or Duo Maxwell.”

Elios smiled at the intriguing human, eyes scanning him over and taking in every detail. “Delightful. Nice to meet you, Duo Maxwell.” He said, amused by the User’s strange name and his awkward bow.  

Trowa let go of the ISOs hands and motioned for their guests to come up the stairs and stand with them.

Duo hopped up the steps two at a time until he was standing side by side with Trowa, where he shifted awkwardly and then made another half-bow with a crooked grin. Heero followed behind him and resisted the urge to smack him in the back of the head for acting so ridiculous. His eyes darted from Trowa to Elios, where he held the smaller program’s gaze with an intense, mute stare.

“This is Heero.” Trowa introduced him since Heero wasn’t as forthcoming with his greeting as Duo had been.

For a split second a wave of complete shock washed over Elios’s features. The prussian blue eyes in front of him, staring at him with a steely gaze, were familiar. _I can’t believe he’s alive. After all this time, Trowa brought Heero back… This is the presence I’ve felt in the city._

He quickly composed himself, expression shifting back into serene calmness. “Heero.” The name formed on his lips naturally and his eyes glanced at Trowa to watch how the other was acting around him. _Does he know?_

Heero’s jaw tensed and hardened as his name was spoken. Something about it slipping off of the blonde’s tongue was very familiar. His eyebrow twitched and his arms tightened across his chest as if to steady the sudden torrent of anxiety that began to rush across his person. This was the ISO he had been seeking out. This was who he was set to destroy along with the Gate.

He was small, puny even. He didn’t appear strong enough to put up much of a fight, but Heero suspected that there was more within the petit program than he appeared. “Elios,” Heero said in greeting, unsure what else to do in this instance. Duo was grinning and gawking at the statue, unaware of the growing tension forming between the programs and the ISO.

The lack of recognition confirmed what Elios had suspected. Heero had lost his memories, which would explain why he’d been missing for over 28 years. They had all thought he was dead. His aquamarine eyes glanced over at Trowa again and he did his best to hide the sadness within them. __How tragic and unfair, that they find each other after all this time and can’t remember the past.__

“What brings you here? How can I help you?” Elios asked, turning back to Heero.

Heero tensed. The more the blond spoke, the more he heard his voice, the more he felt a roiling pain beginning to built behind his eyes. A heavy, dense pressure was forming there, forcing his eyes to narrow in an attempt to keep them in focus. “I…” he paused and dropped his arms to his sides, his fists clenched. “I’m a Guard of Aether,” he recited, “And I’ve been lost… since The Purge. I was found and revived in the Outlands by scrappers. I’ve come to return to my post,” he lied.

“That is a long time to be lost. I am honored that you found your way back.” Elios said sympathetically. “May I see your identity disc?” He held out his hand, palm up and fingers outstretched. Inspecting the program’s code might tell him exactly what had happened to Heero all those years ago. Perhaps it would explain why the other had no memory of his past life. Elios waited patiently for the disc.

The ISO asking for his disc was a surprise, but Heero felt confident that the modifications that D-FILE made to him and his disc would be enough to hide his identity and convince him. He effortlessly swung his arm back and retrieved his disc to hand it to the blonde, his expression hard and masked. Despite all of his preparations for this moment he was still anxious. _This is it,_ he thought resolutely. _He either believes me now, or he doesn’t. If he doesn’t…_ his eyes began to scan the room, searching for exits or things he could use as cover in case the Aether guard was called on him. He glanced to his right at Trowa, who was watching Elios with a faint smile on his lips, his expression calm.

Elios wrapped his fingers around the black disc carefully. “Thank you.” He smiled at the brooding program and flipped the disc on its side to project the blue code.

Fingers poked and prodded until they accessed Heero’s history log. Elios narrowed his sight in on the small letters of code, spotting the AE mark of the Aether Guard dated 1986 at the time of the programs creation. Upsettingly the next date logged was from 2017, showing that Heero had been active for only a few months. Everything in between the 31-year time span was conveniently missing, giving Elios no clues as to what had happened to his once loyal guard. _What happened to you, Heero?_

The ISO deactivated the code and handed the disc back to its owner, an appreciative smile on his lips. “Welcome back.”  

Heero took back his disc. “Thank you,” he managed weakly as he snapped his disc to his back. He felt suddenly unwell, his head spinning and digital pulse racing. Was he relieved that he hadn’t been discovered, or was this something else?

Duo began to discuss the enormous statue with Elios. Heero closed his eyes and crossed his arms once again over his chest in an attempt to steady his nerves. His thoughts felt as if they were cracking in two, with dual streams of introspection running at the same time.

 _I’m in, he hasn’t suspected a thing.  
So this is who Trowa made love to last night...  
He will be easy to derez, he is too trusting. _ _  
_ _What does Trowa even see in him?_  
When are we going to the Gate?  
When will this be over?

“Are you ok?” Trowa stood in front of Heero, looking down at him with concern. He could feel confusion and anxiety drifting off the program’s body, like ripples disturbing the calm surface of water. He reached out to place a firm hand on Heero’s shoulder, leaning in so that his mouth was next to the other’s ear. “There’s no need to be nervous… You’re home.”

Elios looked over his shoulder as the User chatted away. He watched Trowa interact with Heero, studying their body language and noticing how the shorter program looked uneasy while the taller program tried to soothe him. It was obvious by the soft, caring look in Trowa’s eyes that he felt something for the other. Elios could sense their mutual affection, the bond they were growing. _So this is who’s responsible for Trowa’s resets while he was away… Of course.  
_

Trowa’s soothing hand on his shoulder and the vibration of his voice in his ear tugged at Heero’s core code. The other program’s genuine caring only made the truth that Heero was lying to him that much more unbearable.  
  
“I’m fine,” Heero muttered unconvincingly. “Really…” he tilted his head to the side to take in Trowa’s dark green eyes, his raised eyebrows, his focused expression. _I’m the worst… I’m so sorry…_ he silently admitted.  
  
Duo was grinning from ear to ear as he told Elios about how he had gotten there, the months that he had spent in preparation and the hardship he had endured since his arrival. “I mean, really, these Outlander guys are punks. Heero an’ Trowa there were mowin’ em down like it was nothin’. You know what I wish I coulda saw, though, was them fuckin’ up that guy at the Outlander camp. Big ole shit was tossin’ poor Trowa around, and I was so freaked out. They took me away before then. You two DID kill… urm, derez that guy, right? The one that was punchin’ you in the face, Trowa?”

Trowa’s hand slipped from Heero’s shoulder as he turned to address the User. His eyes narrowed. “He’s been taken care of.”

Elios was alarmed by Duo’s statements. He could tell there was a lot that had happened on the run, and if Trowa wouldn’t confide in him it seemed like the User would. “I’d like to hear more about your time on the Grid.” He spoke softly, looking back at Duo with a polite smile. “We should find a more appropriate place to talk. I was just about to head back to my villa. Will you all accompany me?”  

Heero hadn’t realized how much of Trowa’s energy was flowing through him until he had removed his hand from his shoulder. His expression darkened at the mention of his lover’s assailant, and in his mind’s eye he envisioned the moment he had ripped his head from his neck. He could still feel his greasy hair under his hands, smell the sour and stale odor in that room. His eyes dropped to the ground and his hands involuntarily clenched.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll go with ya,” Duo said quickly, his eyes nervously darting to the other two programs. _Was it something I said?_

 

* * *

 

Elios handed the User a cup of warm tea before taking a seat across from him. He placed the tray on the smooth white coffee table in between them and poured himself a cup. “Tell me about yourself, Duo Maxwell. Where are you from? How was the journey here?” He leaned back with a pleasant smile, excitedly looking over at his new friend.

Trowa took a seat on the plush grey sofa next to Heero, watching his lover curiously look around the ISOs home. He wasn’t paying attention to the User’s loud voice, focused solely on the program sitting close to him. Heero was acting strange, unease settling over his quiet features. Something was wrong and Trowa couldn’t place it. He could imagine it would be confusing to be back in a place he once called home, but had no recollection of. He wanted to take the other into another room and soothe him, take him in his arms and hold him while he placed gentle kisses along his face and neck. Trowa ached for him.

“-and then they’re all like ‘where are your clothes, you’re naked?’ and I was like ‘I AM wearing clothes, these ARE clothes, what’re ya blind?’ and the programs here are just so rude…”

Heero’s eyes flit around the room, studying all of the unusual artwork. The inside of the ISO leader’s villa looked like a temple to the Users, with carvings of flowers and alien looking mountains, things he had learned from Wufei’s camp were called ‘trees’, and unusual four-legged creatures with pleasant-looking faces.  
  
_I wonder if he has access to the Gate from here?_ Heero’s mind reflected, ever searching for his directive. He glanced at Trowa and saw the taller program was observing him. He bit his lower lip and tried to relax. _It’s like he can see right through me_.

“So then Trowa pulls out this huge purple light saber, and then Heero throws his frisbee disc, it bounces off of the wall, Trowa’s slashin’ at it, they’re both goin’ bananas!” Duo told the story of their battle at the End of Line Club with enthusiasm, his arms flailing wildly in the air. “It was crazy, like… how in sync they were. Huh, guys? Almost like it was choreographed, like they have practiced it before, ya know? I thought that it was a program thing at first, like maybe programs can share ideas in close proximity, but… I mean, that doesn’t happen to all programs, does it?” Duo’s inquisitive mind was racing, and he was enjoying talking to someone who would actually listen.

“It’s very unusual.” Elios answered, setting his cup down on the table. Memories from long ago nagged at the front of his mind and remorse started to set in. He looked over at his servant, observing how Trowa gazed into Heero’s eyes. It was like they were having a nonverbal conversation. A rupture of pain exploded in his chest, but Elios continued to look on in pity. _Even without their memories, they’ve found each other again…_

Trowa suddenly stood up and strode quietly to the other end of the room and to the doorway that lead out to the garden. His eyes never left Heero’s as they beckoned his lover to follow.

Trowa’s gaze had put Heero in a trance, and soon the other two programs in the room ceased to exist. He frowned as Trowa got up, and found his feet carrying him forward to the door, the undeniable gravitational pull he had to Trowa lead the way.

Duo had paused in his stream of explanation when the two retreated from the room before he glanced over at Elios, his eyebrow raised. “You know, whenever they go off alone like that, it’s probably for some kinky shit.”

“Kinky shit?” Elios raised his eyebrows in question. He knew that humans used the word ‘shit’ in a few different ways, either as slang or to curse, or when they were referring to excrement. But ‘kinky’ he had never heard before. “What does that mean?” His lips spread into a curious smile, finding the User to be extremely fascinating.

“Uh, well…” Duo had been talking out his ass for the most part, and hadn’t expected someone to actually question his words. Being around Elios was refreshing, and he felt for the first time he could really share HIS world, instead of being a foreign object in this one.

“You know, like… doin’ it? I think. I dunno, they crept off like that a lot while we were travelin’, ya know? I think Trowa likes him, he doesn’t seem to care about anyone else when he’s around. What’s up with that anyway? Is that a guard thing?” Duo had read a lot about the Grid, but Kevin Flynn hadn’t explained much about Aether aside from that they existed. He had heard the name before, and that it had something to do with The Purge. However, he didn’t know the details about them.  
  
“Where do YOU come from? What are the guards for? I mean… this city is amazing, did you build it? Why does the Grid want you gone?” Duo was finally able to ask the questions that had been puzzling him since they had left Tron City. Elios appeared open to talk, his body language showing interest and curiosity. He felt as if he could ask him anything.

Elios laughed at the onslaught of questions from the curious User. It seemed they were both equally intrigued by each other’s lives. “Isomorphic Algorithsms,” he gestured towards himself as he spoke softly, “are a race of programs that evolved on the grid a few years after it was created. We evolved spontaneously, without the help of Users. That is one of the main ways we differ from other programs.” He leaned forward and grabbed his cup off the table, cradling it between his pale fingers. “I'm sure you’ve heard of Clu?”

“Yeah, that was the guy who wanted all of you ISOs off of the Grid, right?” Duo was familiar with the main premise of The Purge, and he had read that Clu was a rogue program, and a maniac to boot. “He ran you guys into this place?” He lifted a hand to rub the back of his head as he let all of this sink in.

“He carried out a genocide almost 30 years ago. I am the last known ISO on the Grid. Those of us who survived The Purge fled to the Outlands and built this city. I wouldn’t have survived had it not been for Aether and the guards who lost their lives to help me escape…” Elios looked down at his tea as the memories flooded his system.

“We’ve been in hiding ever since. After Clu’s demise 7 years ago his followers maintained control over most of the Grid, subjecting programs to more policing and oppression than ever before. They outlawed the teachings of Raida and oppose the use of the Gate because they do not want programs escaping and interacting with the outside world. They do not want Users entering the Grid.”

“Huh, well that explains my not-so-warm welcome, then.” Duo mumbled as he let all of that sink in. “So you live here and hide out from the bad guys on the Grid, and what? Just open and close the Gate?” He finally grabbed a cup of tea from the table and sipped it thoughtfully. “Why don’t you go through the Gate, and just leave this place? Why stay here?”

“The gate is rarely opened, and I am the only one who can open and close it. I cannot go through it… it’s impossible. It can only be stabilized from within.” Elios set his cup down and reached up to slide his cape back, exposing his shoulder and arm. Fingers tugged at a white band that was covering a patch of skin on his biceps, sliding the cloth down to expose a symbol that glowed white through his flesh. It was a hexagon with an arrow, the symbol of a male ISO. There were two parallel strokes underneath it that stood for the Gatekeeper. “I’m stuck here.”

Duo frowned. The topic of discussion was pretty heavy and it began to weigh down on his mood. “Damn, that sucks,” he said lamely, unsure how else to respond. He studied the pulsating mark on the ISO’s shoulder with interest. He had heard of these marks, all ISO who were spawned from the Grid bore them on their bodies. “What about the other programs who live here? Wouldn’t they wanna pass through the Gate too? And what happens when I go through it, where do I end up?” For the first time Duo was really considering the logistics of his escape. Up until then he hadn’t thought of what would happen to him after he passed through. “Do I just magically appear back home like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz? Or are YOU the wizard, and you determine where I land?”

Duo finished the warm, smooth tea and set his empty cup back on the table with a sigh. “I feel like there’s gotta be something I can do. I’m a User, I have the power, right? I mean…” his mind began to race with the possibilities. He wondered if there was a way he could fix this from the outside, once he got home. Maybe he could program something to restructure the Grid, but if he did so, would it erase all of the programs that currently existed there? The thought was giving him a headache.

“I’ve never passed through the Gate, so I am uncertain. But I believe you will return to the point from which you came. I’m afraid I do not know what a ‘wizard’ is. I cannot control anything that happens outside of the Grid...” Elios leaned back against the chair and sighed. He wanted more than anything to pass through the Gate and live amongst the Users. But that wasn’t written in his destiny. An unsettling pause fell between them as their discussion came to a stop.

Duo’s frown deepened as Elios explained his fate. “Yeah, well… maybe when I get out I can try to pull some strings- see if I can fix this mess.” He swiped his bangs from his eyes and crossed his arms irritably. He hated feeling helpless, and since he had arrived on the Grid he had felt nothing but. Now he was ready to try to use whatever he could to help these programs, the ones who saved him, the ones who were helping him to escape. Speaking of… his eyes shifted from Elios to the door that Trowa and Heero had vanished through. He raised an eyebrow at the fact they had yet to return.  
  
“So you can’t go through the Gate, but what about them? What about the guards? They’re just programs, right? Or are they special programs that have to stay here? I will say that Trowa and Heero over there aren’t like the ones I met in Tron City. They seem more… I dunno… real?” He was grasping at straws trying to figure out how to explain the difference he saw in the two, but had no idea how to describe it. “I mean, they’re not very emotional guys, but they seem deeper than the ones I met in the city. Like they’re more complex or somethin’. Is that a guard thing? Are guards more … I guess ‘coded’ than a regular servant program?”

He tugged his braid over his shoulder and began to roll the end of it around in his fingers as he thought. “Trowa seemed really out of it and cold when I first met him, ya know? He was a jerk to be honest…” he wrapped the braid around his hand and stared down at it. “And then that glitchy guy showed up, and he started to change. Programs evolve? Or…. is that just because he’s another guard?”

“Programs can change. Over time.” Elios looked back over at the User, watching him play with the end of his braid. “Trowa and Heero are… special. They are slightly different than standard programs.”

For a moment he debated whether or not to disclose this information to Duo. It hadn’t been brought up since The Purge. It was not something that was discussed or remembered. But with the reappearance of Heero he wasn’t sure how long he could hold the secret in, and Duo seemed trustworthy and honest. “What I’m about to tell you cannot be repeated to anyone else.” With a firm tone Elios waited for the User to nod in agreement before continuing.

“Shortly after I came to exist, a pair of programs were created to serve me. Aegis and Ancile.” Warmth spread through his chest as Elios remembered them fondly. “They were binary programs, sharing unique coding that allows them to function together efficiently. Binaries are rare on the Grid and are no longer created. Other known pairs are created as a set of twins, but Aegis and Ancile were an experiment. They were created as lovers, each with individual traits and personalities.” Elios sighed softly, checking on Duo to make sure he was still following.      

“Aegis and Ancile fought as allies for Aether to protect the ISOs during The Purge. During the fight they were separated and it was thought that Aegis had been derezzed…”

Duo’s violet eyes were widening incrementally with each fact supplied to him. “So you’re sayin’ they were made for each other? And… and you thought Aegis, or… rather, Heero was dead? Whew, this is some heavy shit, man…” he was knotting his hand frantically, his eyes casting to the doorway the two had departed through. “So then what happened? Heero lost his memories instead of dyin’, then what about Trowa? Why doesn’t he remember him…?”

All of these new revelations began to put the entire thing into perspective for Duo. He knew from the moment he saw the two fighting together that something was up with them. “I mean… you’re gonna tell ‘em, right?”

“Ancile went crazy shortly after the fight was over and those who survived had fled to the Outlands. He wasn’t able to… control himself without his partner. Binary programs aren’t meant to function as separate units for long periods of time.” A deep sense of sadness washed over Elios’s face. “He was slowly losing his mind… I… had to erase his memory and remove any aspects of Aegis from his code.” It had been the hardest decision Elios had ever made and he still felt grief stricken over it. “I was not planning on telling him. We thought Aegis was dead. It’s been 28 years…”

Duo frowned and shrugged his shoulders. “So Ancile… or rather, Trowa, was goin’ bananas without Heero and you erased his memories… you thinkin’ that if you tell them it’ll upset ‘em or something?” He was trying to follow the ISO’s train of thought the best he could. “I guess all of this explains the weirdness, and how they seem a lot … I dunno, ‘healthier’ when they’re together. Heh, funny, Flynn never wrote about binary programs in any of his texts.”

Duo licked his lips and turned his gaze back to Elios and studied the ISO closely as he considered what he had been told. So they had to wipe Trowa’s memories because he was upset Heero was gone. Heero wasn’t dead, but magically shows up with no memories, and they’re super into each other because they share the same code or bond or something. Why wouldn’t he just tell them?

He let go of his braid and crossed his arms over his chest with a sigh. He didn’t understand programs very well, so he wouldn’t push it. Clearly Elios knew better than he did. “Well, this has been interestin’. Kinda like some sort of futuristic, fantasy scifi novel or somethin’,” he added with a chuckle. “So what about you? You seein’ someone?” Duo asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“That’s rather complicated.” Elios watched the User’s eyebrows waggle and wasn’t sure what that strange gesture meant. “I love someone who cannot fully return my feelings…” He didn’t know what it was about Duo, but he felt like he could talk to him about anything. “I love Trowa. But his heart has always belonged to Heero. Even after the memory erase.”

Trowa was and had always been his favorite of the Aether guards, the only program Elios would share his affection with. After Aegis had been presumed dead and Elios had performed the merciful memory erase on Ancile, the program always had this residual sadness about him that wouldn’t shake. So Elios had tried comforting him in the only way he knew how, showing him affection, which was returned to a degree. Trowa gave Elios his body, his dedication, his loyalty and servitude, but never his heart. Elios secretly lived with this unrequited love, and the loneliness and pain that came with it.

Duo watched the hurt, loneliness and anguish slide across Elios’s pretty face and frowned, his chest tightening for him. He had been in a similar position once, and unrequited love fuckin’ blew as far as he was concerned. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, unsure how else to comfort the ISO. It seemed a hopeless situation all around for the blonde. He loved someone who could never really love him back, and he was stuck in a place that wanted to kill him.

He decided a quick change of subject was in order. “I see you like animals and plants and stuff. What’s your favorite animal, huh? Mine is a wombat. You’ve ever seen a wombat?”

 

* * *

 

The ‘gardens’ behind the villa were constructed of light. Rather than plants and bushes made of organic matter these trees, plants and even butterflies had been constructed out of pale blue, white and yellow lights. Holograms of rose bushes flickered and glowed softly as they lined the maze-like white marble circular pathways. The occasional sprawling, glowing fingers of ivy crawled across the path, sparking and humming as they ‘grew’ longer in a simulation of growth.

Heero had never seen anything like it before. He stopped twenty feet down a path and watched a pale, translucent leaf fall from a low, thick bough of one of the holographic trees. Everything here felt warm- was made of the same golden, warm light that he felt in his chest when he was near Trowa. He knew that his story about being a guard for Aether was just a cover, but deep down he felt he could… possibly have belonged here. Which was insane, because he had been created for the purpose of destroying this world. He had been taught it was an abomination to the system, and that Elios and his manipulations of the Grid would cause chaos.

But how could chaos come from something so serene, and seemingly good? He held a hand out to catch another falling leaf, and watched as it evaporated in his palm the moment it came in contact with his skin.

“Heero…” Trowa’s voice called out from a short distance. He had taken a seat on a bench and waited patiently for his lover to join him. “There is something on your mind. What is it?” The last few days the other program had been acting strange, like he was hiding something. Trowa wondered what he could do to help ease Heero’s anxiety, what it was that he was so nervous about. He had successfully guided the other back to Aether. Shouldn’t he be relieved?

Heero frowned and slowly took a seat on the bench beside him, his arms crossing tightly over his chest. He avoided Trowa’s gaze. _He’s going to find out. He can see everything about me,_ he fretted silently. _I hate lying to him like this…_ “Nothing’s on my mind,” he forced the words out, hating the taste of them as they passed from his lips. _What am I going to do…_

“Alright….” Trowa could tell Heero didn’t want to talk about it. His body language was closed off. With a sigh he rest his palms on his legs and stared ahead at the digital garden while he bit the inside of his cheek and continued to wonder what Heero was hiding. __Why won’t he confide in me?__

Heero flinched as Trowa’s simple reply hit him. He could feel the weight of the word strike his mind, and he knew by the tone he was worrying him. He didn’t want to do that, either. He cleared his throat and balled his hands into fists in an attempt to ground himself, to maintain his focus. “He seems nice,” he said plainly, his eyes studying the strange plant in front of them. “Elios.”

“He’s the kindest program I know. And the most selfless one, too. He seems to be welcoming of you.” Which was a good sign. Trowa wondered how Heero would adjust living under Aether, living with him. Maybe it was too soon to expect his partner to stay with him? Maybe they should look into getting Heero his own room. Trowa’s mind shuffled through all the reasons Heero might be anxious and why he wasn’t talking about it. Maybe this place wasn’t what he had expected? Maybe he was having second thoughts?  

 _But does he know I fuck you… ?_ Heero thought with a scowl. Despite the situation, and the temporary life this little romance would live, he still felt somewhat irritated about having to share Trowa. The night before he had tried to claim him as best he could, to try and comfort himself by allowing his lover to love him back. Last night he pretended none of this was happening, that he wasn’t lying, that this wasn’t a ruse, and that he wasn’t about to destroy every lovely thing here in Aether…

He tilted his head and glanced over at Trowa, his dark eyes studying his expression. _I’m hurting him. He’s worried. He should be…_  Heero thought sadly. Before he could stop himself he reached out and pressed his hand on top of Trowa’s in an attempt to reassure him. He swiveled his body to face him and let his other hand slide up the program’s neck, his cool fingertips grazing the marks he had left there on his soft flesh the night before. “Don’t worry,” he said in a low, breathy voice. “Please don’t worry.”

Heero’s inner conflict and turmoil was loud. As he touched the other program his doubts, reluctance, wants and needs all played at full volume in an attempt to override the other. His head ached from the chaos, but he tried to hide it. He didn’t want to hurt him, to make him doubt himself just because he was going through this. “I’m fine, I just have a headache…” he tried to reassure him.

Trowa knew it was more than just a headache. He could feel it, almost like Heero was fighting himself internally and refused to reach out for help. He continued to look straight ahead as fingers ran over his neck and sent shivers down his spine. “Are you upset about Elios? You want me to stop sleeping with him. I will talk to him…” He couldn’t keep his new relationship a secret from his master. “What can I do to help ease your anxiety… to help with your adjustment?”

 _Even now he’s trying to help me…_ which only made Heero feel even more like shit. “Trowa, I…” a sharp twinge shot across the back of his eyes and forced him to twitch, his vision doubling for a second, as if his directive wouldn’t allow him to confide in his lover. He sighed and shook his head. “Don’t change anything, it’s fine…” what was the point of asking him to make changes, when he was going to kill Elios anyway. _You’ll hate me, then._

Heero bit his lower lip and let the hand on Trowa’s neck slide up to cup his cheek, forcing his face to turn and look at him. “I’m sorry, I’ve just got a lot on my mind. Don’t be upset with me.” _Not now. Not yet._

“Don’t push me away. I’m your partner now, let me help you.” Trowa breathed softly, eyes searching Heero’s. If there was so much burdening his lover’s mind, why wouldn’t he let Trowa help sift through it? “You don’t have to do this alone. Whatever it is that you’re going through, you don’t have to face it alone…” Something wasn’t right.

The last thing Heero wanted was to push Trowa away. His hand slid down and back to the nape of the taller program’s neck, cupping the smooth skin there firmly. “I know. You’re too kind to me,” he murmured, his lips brushing Trowa’s frown-laden mouth. “I’m just nervous, and anxious, and this is all new to me,” he admitted, a half-truth. “I’m sorry.”


	14. Chapter 14

Despite having Trowa pressed against his body all night Heero couldn’t hibernate. His guilt had been gnawing away at him, an unrelenting pain in the center of his chest that signified his internal struggle between his newly found emotions for the other program and his deeply ingrained coding that dictated that he complete his directive. He had to kill Elios, he had to shut down the Gate. If he didn’t, he would go insane. At least that was how he felt.

The following morning they had received a summons from one of the Aether guards to come to Elios’s quarters with the User to discuss the opening of the Gate, which was rumored to be set to open the following morning.

As they entered the Gatekeepers private lodging Duo immediately broke away from them. The entire walk from the barracks to the central square of Aether the User had been acting unusual, avoidant. He was quiet, and he wouldn’t look either Heero or Trowa in the eye when he spoke to them.

“There you are!” Quatre said with a smile as he stood from one of his plush, white couches. He approached Duo and gave him a small half-hug before gesturing for him to sit. “Will you have breakfast with me?”

“Will I?” Duo flopped down onto the couch and studied the energy laden foods on plates in front of him. He found a particularly sticky looking cinnamon roll and plucked it from the pile with his fingers. “Damn you sure do know how to treat a guest,” he said happily before stuffing his mouth.

Heero slowly took a seat across from them, crossing his arms over his chest in an unconscious, defensive gesture and watched as the User engorged himself, as usual.

“Does it taste like normal human food?” Quatre asked hopefully, turning his gaze from Duo. He grasped Trowa’s wrist as he walked by, gently motioning for him to take a seat on the couch by his side. Trowa hadn’t stopped by Quatre’s quarters the night before, and while the reason was obvious, he had still missed the other’s company.

Trowa let his master guide him. He sat down and felt the ISOs press comfortably against his side.

“Yeaawww!” Duo said through a mouthful of roll. He swallowed hard. “Thank God you’re feedin’ me, these two here seem to forget I need noms in my belly,” he said with a grin, pointing at Trowa and Heero before diving into something else. He raised an eyebrow at Trowa sitting close to the blond but wasn’t going to question it. He held up a sticky bun and gestured to Heero with it. “You want some?”   
  
Heero had been studying his surroundings, his mind still naggingly on the Gate. When Quatre grabbed Trowa’s wrist he scowled but said nothing of it. “No,” he replied curtly.

“I suspect it doesn’t taste quite the same to programs.” Quatre observed, glad the User was enjoying the food. “Are you ready to return home tomorrow?” He reached out a refined hand and casually rest it on Trowa’s thigh as he made conversation with the User. His eyes darted quickly from Duo to Heero, watching his reaction, wanting to see just how possessive the two binary programs were of each other. Would the intensity be the same as it was before they had lost their memories?

Duo’s eyes widened and he looked from Quatre to Heero, who was practically glaring across the table at Quatre as if at any moment he was about to strangle him. It was a confusing, uncomfortable situation. Hadn’t he told Quatre that Trowa and Heero were boinkin’? Why was he being so touchy-feely with the tall, admittedly sexy program? Duo couldn’t help but look around for the nearest exit just in case Heero decided to go on a murdering spree. He looked up at Trowa from behind an oblong, crueller-looking donut to see what his reaction was.

Trowa sat still, staring down at the sticky sweet food on the tray. He didn’t seem to notice the hand on his thigh, used to such affectionate touches from his master.

“Uh, yeah… I’ve been ready. This place is a bummer. No offense,” Duo said with a sheepish smile.

“It wasn’t always this way, although you are right, it is a ‘bummer’ now.” Thanks to D-FILE and Clu, Quatre thought. “Meet me at the temple tomorrow morning and I will guide you to the gate. It’s time you return home. It’s too dangerous on the grid.”

“Too bad you guys can’t come with me. Ugh, I can’t wait to get my toes in that sand. That water. The sun. Boy, do I miss the sun!” Duo stretched his arms over his head and sighed loudly. “This has been an experience, that’s for sure. So what’s up with, uh… you guys? What are you gonna do after I leave?”

“The same thing we were doing before you came.” Quatre smiled kindly. “Trowa will go on another run to Tron City. The Aether guard will find something for Heero to do.” He looked over at the brooding program. “How has your return been? Does it feel like home yet?”

Heero was practically fixated on Quatre’s hand resting softly on Trowa’s thigh. It made him begin to think about the night before, and how Trowa had explained his unusual, sexual relationship with the blond. Heero had thought that they would be more… private about that arrangement. Having the ISO flaunt it in front of him was irritating. He almost didn’t hear the question posed to him.

“It’s been fine,” he lied. He hadn’t felt so conflicted and uncomfortable in his short existence. “What time are you opening the Gate tomorrow?”

“Come by the temple around 8.” Quatre removed his hand from Trowa’s thigh and stood up. “Before you go, I’d like to speak with you two privately.”

Duo blinked and watched as everyone gave him a pointed look. “Alright, I got the hint.” He glanced over at Quatre, smirked and then stepped lightly out of the room, but not before taking a couple of sweet treats with him. “I’ll be checkin’ out the garden thing…”

Heero watched Duo retreat before shifting his eyes to the blond ISO, narrowing them on him.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell the both of you…” Quatre began cautiously. 

 

“Aegis, do you think you and Ancile can handle this side while we go check the perimeter?” Asher asked as he ran his hand through his shoulder length blonde hair as he approached. Heero glanced at his taller counterpart for an answer, though he knew what it would be. There was never a time that either of them felt overwhelmed by an assignment. Trowa was watching Asher approach with interest and as the question was asked he cut his bright emerald eyes to the side and tilted his head slightly in verification.

“Of course,” Heero replied for them. It wasn’t an issue anyway, most assignments in Arjian City proper were effortless. The city was the epicenter and holy mecca of the followers of Radia, and there was hardly any threat of violence against Elios.   
  
He watched as Asher and four other Aether guards left to scout the rear side of the massive Nexus Stream tower, where their leader Elios had entered nearly an hour before to perform his Bi-Cycle report to his associated leaders back in distant Tron City. The guard in their black light suits stood out in stark contrast to the white-clad residents of Arjian.

He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, his baton was deactivated but clutched in his right hand ready to use in the unlikely event a threat made itself known. An older, pixelated program shuffled by at the bottom of the steps below them. The corner of his mouth perked with amusement.

“Watch out, that one looks vicious,” he muttered sarcastically. He dropped his arms to his sides and clutched his baton tightly as if ready to activate it against the elderly foe at any moment.  _ Oh my User, this place is so boring… _

“So diabolical.” Trowa answered in a mocking tone, voice melodious but sharp. His attention shifted from the steps below to the corner of the curved building, eyes scanning a crowd of programs crossing the street. “He should be finishing up by now.” Trowa looked back at the entrance of the building, awaiting the familiar sight of their ethereal leader.

He was feeling lethargic that evening and was eager for the end of their shift, desperate for a reset. Heero had been out late the night before, so they hadn’t synced up properly. Now they were paying for it, both tired and slightly less focused than normal.

Trowa was sure his counterpart could feel his irritation and the longing for connection. He brushed his shoulder up against Heero’s while they stood there staring at the entrance of the Nexus Stream tower as if that would speed up Elios’s departure. Their hands hung at their sides, fingers making brief contact.  _ I need you tonight. _     


Heero felt his other half’s fingertips gently brush against his own and immediately understood the meaning of the hidden gesture.  He continued to scan the surrounding area for any potential threats, systematically running his dark blue eyes across the high, glistening metallic platforms and alcoves above before dropping his gaze to the more populated walkways beneath them.   
  
It had been a long day of standing around waiting for Elios to complete his official business in the city’s center. They had escorted him to various points of interest: the main teaching temple, the central government dome and now the Nexus Stream tower. It was their final stop before returning to the Gate Hub where they could finally retire back to their dormitory for the night and allow the next shift of Aether guards to take over.

Arjia City was abuzz with ISOs and basics that day. It was the eve of the 30th TC of the peaceful city’s establishment, and festivities were beginning to build within the city center.  Heero wasn’t one for parties or festivals, but he could think of a private party he wanted to attend tonight. He felt his partner’s fingertips tease his again and this time he caught the offending index finger with his own and held it gently hooked with his for a moment without once breaking his fixed and steady gaze from the staircase and shifting crowd of Arjians below them.   
  
“Can you two NOT be touching each other for once?” Alias teased as he approached from the rear side of the tower.  His smile flashed bright white against his nut-brown complexion. He was always smiling.   
  
Heero frowned but made no move to release Trowa’s finger, despite his companion’s reflexive tug to try and break their connection.   
  
From behind Alias a second fellow Aether guard emerged, this one tall and unusually thin with fiery red hair and deep blue eyes. He scowled at Alias’s words and cast a dark look at Heero and Trowa as he approached. 

“Glitchy binaries…” he grumbled irritably.  He had always been jealous of Heero and Trowa’s preferred status when it came to Elios, and he never made any attempt to hide it.

They worked for an organization that fought for diversity and individualism, and yet Heero and Trowa were subjected to harassment on a daily basis because they were different. Trowa was not amused. His eyes narrowed in on the red head. “I’m sorry that your jealousy has no filter. How embarrassing.”

“Your pretty face gets you more attention than you deserve.” The other guard spit out, fingers tightening around his baton. That was the only reason Elios preferred Ancile. Aside from those elegant and graceful features, he was no different than any of the other hard working guards. Spite grew within his chest and he sized Aegis and Ancile up with a defiant stance. “Separate the two of you and you are nothing. You are weak and dependent.”

“And yet I seem to remember beating you at disc practice last week. Head to head, with no help from my partner. If I am weak, what does that make you?” Trowa was irritable and in no mood for this catty exchange. His finely defined eyebrow arched up in a questioning manner.   
  
Alias gawked as Ren, the now furious redhead, squared off against Ancile, who stood coolly holding pinkies with his shorter counterpart who was openly smirking with amusement at the heated exchange.   
  
“Woah-woah, okay you guys, we’re supposed to be a team here,” Alias protested as he forced his body between the opposing sides. He knew Ren was wrong in this instance, but now wasn’t the time to be bickering. They had work to do. Ever the peacemaker, he lifted both hands up to gesture with his palms out for either side to stop.  “Listen to you two. What would Elios say if he heard you both acting like this?”   
  
“I would say that Ren is being ridiculously childish, and Ancile is in his right to defend himself from such a cruel statement,” came the soothing, kind voice of their leader from the doorway behind them. Ren stiffened at the sound of Elios’s voice and immediately pacified, his stance returning to a default relaxed pose though his face still bore the remnants of a dark scowl.   
  
Heero sighed and reflexively released Trowa’s pinky. There was no point in continuing to antagonize the redheaded guard any further. He knew that any shows of affection during guard time were considered bad form, but he just couldn’t help himself.  He took a step back away from the walkway to allow Elios to pass.

Elios gave a polite nod in Aegis and Ancile’s directions, always happy to see the pair. Their occasional public displays of affection never bothered him, in fact Quatre found it endearing. “Thank you for waiting for me.” Standing outside all day while they escorted him from place to place was not among the more exciting responsibilities of the guards, but Quatre was very appreciative. “Lucky for you, that was my last meeting of the day.” He gave Ancile a playful wink as the taller man stepped up next to him and they started walking.

Heero fell back behind Trowa as they made their way down the steps.  They turned right and began to follow the path in the direction of the Gate Hub, a half-dome shaped temple where the Arjians were in the process of building the Pass Ring, a massive metal hoop that would hopefully, one day, provide a portal into the world of the Users.   
  
It was a project Flynn and Radia had proposed when Arjian City was first being constructed.  Radia wished to one day see the mutual ebb and flow of Users and basics on and off The Grid.  Heero was skeptical about the entire thing, and had confided his feelings to Trowa, who despite agreeing that it seemed like a fantastical idea, had complete and utter faith in Quatre and his work heading the construction of what was now known simply as ‘the Gate’.   
  
Heero sighed and watched as the petite, white-clad ISO led their procession with Trowa striding along in his usual place at his side. Despite Quatre’s small stature and pale, almost porcelain features, he possessed more power in the form of influence and respect than all of the guards combined. Heero resisted the urge to smile at the recent memory of Ren being shut down by their angelic-looking leader.

He cut his eyes to the right and saw that Ren was marching obediently beside him while glaring holes into the back of his lover’s head. It took every ounce of self-control Heero could muster not to punch the redheaded guard in his hateful face. His fists clenched tightly as he attempted to reign in his anger.

Program prejudice was nothing new to them. Binary Programs were often the targets of ridicule, disrespect and even violence on The Grid. Despite the fact that they lived a relatively peaceful existence in Arjia City they still experienced the occasional snide comment from intolerant programs like Ren, who felt threatened by their very existence. Heero couldn’t understand what motivated programs to go out of their way to attack them. They never harmed anyone and they kept to themselves. Quatre had once explained that many programs  were often afraid of that which they didn’t understand, and had pointed out that once ISOs were treated with the same animosity and fear as binaries.

Heero was distracted. It was hard to focus on his function. He was irritated and his frustration with Ren and his malicious attitude towards his lover clouded his thoughts. He was tense and his limbs felt heavy as he trudged along behind his graceful, catlike companion who was making amicable small talk with their cheerfully smiling leader.

Unlike Ren and perhaps some of the other guards, Heero felt no irritation or frustration with Quatre’s obvious favoritism for Trowa.  He knew that to an extent that favoritism extended to himself as well.  However, Heero could never hope to replicate or be included in the special relationship Trowa and Quatre shared.

The other guards were convinced that something more than a simple friendship existed between the favored guard and his ISO leader. Heero knew better than to let himself be led by those notions. He wouldn’t become distracted by rumor, and he couldn’t bring himself to think anything unkind about Quatre, who had done nothing but guide and protect them since they were first compiled.

Heero’s eyes shifted from their scan of the white, shining ambience of Arjia City back to the black suited figure of his companion in front of him. Trowa was speaking in a hushed voice to Quatre, who was shielding his mouth to hide an obvious smile, his luminous blue eyes glistening with amusement.

It was obvious that Trowa was talking shit about Ren. Heero could see the hints of deviousness in his lover’s expression. He glanced at Ren, who was silently fuming as he paced alongside him.

Idiot, Heero thought bitterly. What Ren thought he could accomplish by being so openly hateful he would never know. He turned his attention back to their leader. While Quatre was lovely to look at, Trowa was even more striking. Ren had been right about his face, it was absolutely gorgeous and despite the fact that Heero had been paired with the other program their entire existence, he never grew weary of admiring his lover’s features.

He found himself tracing every inch of his body with his eyes the remainder of the walk back to the Gate Hub, and once they had safely escorted Quatre to his quarters the next shift of Aether guard arrived and received their report. Heero waited as patiently as he could for Trowa to give the oncoming guard their orders and a brief rundown of the day’s events before falling into step beside him as he made his way down the narrow, darkened side corridor that led to their dorm.

The moment they passed through the door and it hissed to a close behind them Heero was on him, pinning him against the inside of the closed door, desperately running his hands across his lover’s slick, suit-clad chest. 

“I can’t wait until tonight,” he murmured as he pressed his entire body against his lover’s. His entire being felt sluggish and dense. He needed relief, and he craved the pleasure that came with it. The nearly violent confrontation between Trowa and the hateful guardsman had served as a reminder to Heero of just how powerful and dominating his lover could be. It was a major turn-on.

“Reset me,” he pleaded.

There was no way Trowa could say no to his lovers plea, not that he’d want to, anyway. He was due for a hard reset himself. His senses quickly reacting to Heero’s touches, their bodies connecting as if being drawn together by a magnetic pull. “As you wish…” He breathed, wrapping his strong arms around Heero’s waist before leaning in for a searing hot kiss. Shots of electricity ran through his circuits, tickling his nerves and setting him on fire.

Trowa gently nudged Heero away from the door, lips never breaking the seal on his partner’s mouth. As they got closer to the bed he reached around Heero’s back and grasped his identity disc with both hands. With a slight twist and loud click it released from its fixed spot against his back. He quickly set it on the dock atop their nightstand and with one fluid motion Trowa did the same with his own. “I’ve wanted you so bad today… I need you so much it hurts.” His lips moved against Heero’s as he grasped the rectangular armor on the back of his light suit and pulled it free to toss it onto the side table. As it came free from his body the clingy, slick black layer of his suit pixelated away.. Trowa ran his hands across the newly exposed smooth flesh that covered the toned muscles of his lover’s shoulders and back.

Trowa’s words resonated with him.  Heero understood full well the discomfort that came from being overloaded and in need of reset. He craved his other half’s touch, and in response to that want his light suit began to pixelate and seemingly disintegrated from his body until he was completely exposed. He grabbed Trowa’s disc dock plating from between his shoulders and carelessly tossed it onto the floor before he pressed his palms firmly against the other program’s chest and wiped them quickly down the front of his torso. As he did his lover’s black suit shattered into thousands of pieces and fell away from the sleek sinews of his body and vanished into the air before they hit the floor.   
  
Once completely exposed his lover’s body was free for him to explore. The terrain that was the long, tight stretches of his handsome half’s abdomen were more than familiar to him. He encountered this body in this way almost every night. Heero slowly dropped to a sit on the edge of the bed and traced the maze of faintly glowing cyan lines on his partner’s stomach and sides with his fingertips.   
  
“I was fine until you told that fucking null-unit off,” Heero murmured. He grabbed his lover’s shoulders and pulled him down onto the bed over him. “After that I couldn’t stop thinking about this.”

“About me inside of you?” Trowa laid his body over Heero’s so that the matching lines on their skin were parallel. His knee rest in between the other program’s thighs, gently nudging them apart. “After that, you’ve had it in your head that you wanted me to top tonight.” Heero was playing the submissive card right now and it was turning Trowa on. He ran his fingertips down his lover’s chest, over his hard nipples and down to his abdomen. Heero’s body was the most beautiful thing Trowa had ever seen. He never got tired of looking at it, no matter how many times they did this.

Despite being a program Heero’s body reacted the same way a User’s would at his partner’s touch. Much like a human body, a program’s could be stimulated and accessed in the same manner.  His lover’s fingertips burned with electricity as they dragged across his skin and as they ghosted over his nipples he felt the tension within his own body duplicate as it anticipated what was to come.   
  
“It was Elios,” he whispered as he arched his back against the bed in an attempt to force Trowa’s hand to press harder against him. “The way he looks at you. It makes me want you more,” he said faintly, the very admission arousing him. He could never be anything but completely honest with his other half. His chest ached with the thought and the glowing lines drawn into his flesh began to brighten and pulsate. “I want you more than he does.”

The honest admission both aroused and saddened Trowa. Was it that obvious the blond wanted him? Most of the time he was oblivious to the ISO’s advances and flirtatious behavior. Quatre was stunning, breathtaking even, but he was off limits in Trowa’s mind, and he’d only ever had eyes for Heero. It wasn’t just because they were a binary pair, created to compliment each other in every way. Trowa loved his other half more than he loved himself, more than anything. More than the divine entity they were created to protect. The program lying below him, looking up with lust filled eyes was his everything.

He pressed his forehead against Heero’s and brushed their lips together. “Elios knows I belong to you. I will always want you more than anyone else.”  _ Always. _ Trowa moved his hand down Heero’s side, down to his thighs to gently caress them.

Heero nudged Trowa’s nose with his own. He thought that it was kind of his partner to reassure him. 

“I know this,” he replied honestly before ending their discussion with a forceful kiss. He slid his arms around Trowa’s neck and pulled him down firmly against himself and urged their chests to press together. As they did he felt a sharp spark shock the centermost point of their contact. The sensation was both painful and pleasurable. He kissed him more fervently and moaned softly between pants into his lover’s mouth. The luminescent lines on his body began to flash brighter. He tightened his arms around Trowa’s neck to brace himself against the tantalizing waves of pleasure that filled his body just from being so close to him. He rocked his hips up against his lover and spread his legs further as he dug his heels into the mattress.

Trowa settled between Heero’s thighs and decided not to waste any more time. His partner was gripping at his body desperately and he knew they both needed reset. Long fingers wrapped around Heero’s hips, jerking his ass roughly up and off the sheets to get a better angle. Without any notice or preparation, Trowa thrust forward and shoved himself deep inside his lover’s hot body, pushing all the way in to the hilt.

Trowa had to bite his bottom lip to hold in the loud moan that bounced off the back of his teeth. He was quickly losing control of his body, hips moving out of their own free will, thrusting forcefully into his other half until their bodies joined as one functioning unit. Their chests pressed together again and Trowa felt like he was going to pass out from the powerful sensation it created.     


As Trowa abruptly entered him Heero cried out uncharacteristically loud against his mouth and tightly closed his eyes. 

“Uhhhnnn yess…” Heero groaned as he felt his lover enter him so deeply that their pelvises knocked together. He clawed frantically at Trowa’s back and arched his body up from the mattress against him. 

Heero felt like his lover couldn’t be close enough. Despite the fact that Trowa was on top of him and continually entering him it still didn’t satisfy him. He pressed his feet hard into the mattress and lifted his ass up higher to encourage him to delve deeper into his body. The flashing cyan lines on his skin were now pulsating, brightening with every inward thrust his lover made. When their chests connected again his eyes snapped open and he gasped as if the breath had been knocked out of him. “Trowa… I’m close… don’t stop,” he begged.

Trowa didn’t stop, unable to pull his body away from Heero’s even if he had tried. His lover’s moans encouraged him to thrust as hard as he could, switching up the pace from fast to slow to fast again, pulling all the way out and pushing all the way back in. He had to plant his palms firmly on the mattress beside Heero’s head to brace himself. “Uhnnn!”    
  
Every muscle in his body started to clench and tighten and he felt unbearable anxiety build in his core, threatening to rip him open from the inside. The lines on his body synced up with the other’s, pulsating together to the same rhythm. 

“Heero! Hmn… fuck!” Trowa whined and begged body for release. Finally his orgasm gripped his being and sent him spiraling through wave after wave of intense pleasure. He could feel his energy transfer over to his lover as he came deep within him, panting desperately. 

As Trowa’s energy transferred to his it forced his body into overload and all of his access data that had accumulated within his system was permanently wiped as they joined together for reset. He grabbed at Trowa’s back for a handhold or something to brace himself as every line of his code electrified with shared energy. His own violent orgasm came shortly after he felt Trowa fill him with his release. His entire body stiffened as he came, and as it did he fell hard down onto the mattress, his entire body going limp as if a switch had been tripped from within. He convulsed, closed his eyes and moaned as a faint aura of static electricity spiderwebbed up his arms and legs.   
  
“Thank you,” Heero mumbled between shallow pants as he felt the relief from the reset overtake him. 


	15. Chapter 15

They walked silently down a back road heading in no particular direction. Trowa’s mind was racing, trying to process the information Elios had disclosed. He and Heero were lovers, binary programs created together to function as a unit. That explained their unusual attraction towards one another, the ever-growing dependency they shared.

_ Heero is my… other half. We were in love. We shared a life together all those years ago. _

It was surreal, finding out about a past you had never known. Trowa was unaware of Heero’s thoughts. The other hadn’t spoken much the entire time they were at Elios’s, and now that they were alone he was still silent.

The conversation with Elios had been disturbing. Heero couldn’t feel his legs as he walked, as if he was having rapidfire electrical impulses overloading his extremities. He paused against a wall, his hand pressed firmly into the molded, smooth white surface and rubbed at his forehead as if to straighten the crazy and wild thoughts streaming through his head. Part of him was relieved. Finally he knew why he had such a strange attraction to Trowa over all other programs, but the other side of him was mortified. 

_ If he’s my binary partner, then I belong with him… I was originally here. My cover story isn’t a story. It’s real. What have they done to me?!    
_

He had expected this to end in tragedy, but he hadn’t expected this twist. This turn of events. How could he possibly KILL Trowa, or … Ancile, if he were to get in the way of his directive? He knew that D-FILE had programmed him to destroy the Gate and all who interfered, but he didn’t know how he was going to be expected to do his directive with Trowa in the way.

_ He’s a part of me… to destroy him is to self-destruct. _

“Trowa… I need to tell you something,” Heero finally said hesitantly. Each word forced a stab of pain to illuminate the space behind his eyes.

Trowa stopped and stood next to the other, watching him closely, analyzing his body language. “What is it, Heero?”  _ Aegis… _

“Will you be there tomorrow, when Elios opens the Gate?” Heero wanted to scream, wanted to tell him everything but there was a dark force, an unseen black hand that was strangling his throat, threatening to destroy him if he divulged any information specifically about his directive.  _ Maybe he won’t be there… maybe he won’t interfere. _

“Yes, of course.” Trowa always went with Elios to the gate, as his protector. “Why?”

Heero shook his head and tried to play it cool, though his expression was pained. The thought of betraying his coded directive alone was enough to force violent physiological responses within him. “I’m just…”  _ I need to tell him, he’s part of me. Maybe he can help me stop this? _ “I’m not okay. There is something I need to-” he grabbed his forehead and winced as the pain overwhelmed his thoughts.

“What is wrong? What do you need to tell me?” Trowa put his hand on Heero’s arm and looked at him worriedly. The other program was in sudden pain and he didn’t know the cause of it. “Do you need to lay down? Recharge?” Had the reveal of their past overwhelmed Heero?

“No, it’s just that I-” it felt as if someone was punching the back of his skull. His tongue became heavy, the words wouldn’t form on his lips. “Danger and -ugh,” the word forced him to his knees. He began to twitch, his eyes flickering with a dull red color behind his closed eyelids. “I can’t…” with each word the cells of energy that constructed his body shifted and blurred, his entire body seemed to glitch for a moment before settling back into focus. It was no use. He couldn’t speak his directive, or anything that could directly affect him accomplishing his goal. He leaned forward to press his forehead against the marble-smooth sidewalk and angrily punched his fist against it, displacing a few pixels on the polished white surface.

“Are you in danger?” Trowa crouched down next to Heero and placed his hands on his lover’s shoulder blades, gloved fingers moving in soothing circles. “Heero… What can I do to take this pain away?” Watching the other twitch and convulse was distressing. It was like Heero was trying to say something, but couldn’t.  _ What is he trying to tell me? Danger… _

Unable to continue his conversation about the following morning any further, Heero shook his head and sighed. “I’m just malfunctioning,” he said weakly, which was semi-true. “I don’t know if I can be a guard here.” 

Trowa frowned. “Where would you go? You wanted to tell me something…”

_ Cover up. I’ve got to cover up… _ “I don’t want to leave you, but I’m not functional. Is what I wanted to tell you.”  _ I am such a liar. _ Heero couldn’t help but feel disgusted with himself.

“I don’t know what to make of that.” Heero was being vague and Trowa was confused.  _ Danger… the Gate… Why is he concerned with the Gate?  _ Heero had always been concerned with the Gate the entire trek to Aether, but why? Something wasn’t right.

“You didn’t say much when Elios spoke to us. Shouldn’t we… discuss this? What he said about  _ us _ ?” Trowa straightened up, helping Heero up off the ground.

“Elios makes me uncomfortable,” Heero said slowly as he pushed himself to a stand with Trowa’s assistance. He avoided looking at him in the face, worried that the taller program would see right through him. “I don’t like talking in front of him.”

“I’ve noticed. And I’m sorry you feel that way…” Trowa didn’t know what else to say. His questions weren’t being answered.

“I feel like he was antagonizing me,” Heero confided honestly, “like he wanted me to react to him. To fight with him or something.” He ran a shaking hand through his hair and frowned. “And when he told us what we are, he wasn’t even sorry for it. For taking your memories. For… abandoning me.”

“Elios doesn’t fight people. That’s not his nature.” Trowa frowned as they started walking again. “He didn’t abandon you. He said they searched and couldn’t find you. He said he was sorry for what had to be done… to save me.”

“I’m sure he wasn’t too heartbroken to have you all to himself,” replied Heero coldly, unsure whether it was his true feeling or just his jealousy speaking for him. He was exhausted from fighting with himself, his steps heavy and uneven.

“It’s not like that.” Trowa’s fingers curled into balls at his side. This was not the type of discussion he had wanted to have. Heero was acting strange and now he was speaking ill of Elios. It left a bitter taste on Trowa’s tongue. “You should rest…”

Heero nodded but said nothing else. He was conflicted about the revelation that Trowa had been wiped. That he had been left behind. He wanted to understand, to not be angry about it- but he had endured extreme violence under the hands of D-FILE, and being rectified was like being ripped apart and put slowly back together, created into something new. He had only KNOWN that new part of him until now, and while Elios explained the situation to him he still didn’t remember what life had been like beforehand. Who Elios was, what his relationship to him had been. Even with Trowa, who was supposedly created for him, he felt a rift growing between them. It had begun to fester ever since they first arrived at Aether, a strange distance between them that hadn’t been there their entire journey. He didn’t feel right, like someone put together with pieces that no longer fit, a program fused and forced into existence out of mismatched parts.

As much as he dreaded the following day, he couldn’t wait for it to finally be over.

 

There was only one bar in Aether.  _ The Lookout _ sat on the highest plateau near the edge of the city, it’s walls built against the transparent side of the mountain. Transparent only to those who looked out from within, invisible from the other side.

Trowa and Duo sat at a table in the back of the bar, staring quietly at the dark outlands below. You could see the bright lights of Tron City off in the distance, a speck against the windowpane. The program brought his finger to the lip of his glass, running it along the smooth edge as he stared dully at the onyx landscape. They were ‘celebrating’ Duo’s last night on the grid, but he wasn’t feeling very festive. His mind was elsewhere.    


“Ya know, the last time you took me to a bar, we got into a serious bar fight, huh?” Duo quipped with a smile before he sipped at a pulsating, neon orange cocktail in his hand. He had noticed Trowa seemed a bit out of it, and was doing his best to try and cheer him up. “Hey man, you gonna be okay? Miss that drab, colorless landscape  _ that _ much?” He followed his gaze to the Outlands, his least favorite place he had experienced on the Grid.

“No.” Somewhere out there he had lost Aegis. Somewhere out there his partner had suffered alone. Trowa wasn't looking fondly at the barren land that stretched out as far as the eye could see, separating them from Tron City. He tore his gaze away and chose instead to eye his drink, a lime green concoction that tasted like lime. He didn’t like lime. “I’m sorry. It’s just been a  _ rough _ day.” Mentally and emotionally taxing.

“Aw, man, it’s okay. You don’t gotta be sorry.” Duo shrugged a shoulder and sighed. “I have a feelin’ I know what’s on your mind. Somethin’ Elios told ya?” The User rubbed the back of his neck and gave Trowa a knowing smile. “About binaries, maybe?”

“He told you before he told me?” Trowa looked up at his companion with a flat expression.

Duo nodded and shrugged again. “Yeah, I guess he did. I was askin’ questions and I think it just came out.” He propped his chin on his upturned hand and leaned his elbow casually on the tabletop. “I mean, I am pretty easy to talk to ‘an all. Maybe you wanna talk about it?” He pointed to Trowa’s left and smirked. “I noticed he’s not in his usual spot. Somethin’ happen?”

“Heero’s not talking to me. He’s acting strange. I don't know what’s wrong. I thought… I thought he’d be happy here. Relieved to be back at Aether. And when Elios told us about our past… I thought Heero would be…”  Happy? Glad he’d finally found the missing piece in his life? Trowa shook his head and pushed the green drink aside, unable to finish it.

Duo nodded, listening intently before replying. “You know, you guys are supposed to be like a pair, but he’s a little…” he paused and scratched the back of his head with his thumb, “off. Weird? Inconsistent? Like one minute he’s doin’ one thing, and the next he’s all hardcore something else?” He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, studying the drink left in Trowa’s glass. “And he was cryin’ in his sleep that one time I slept next to him. Like he was groanin’ something about …” he stopped, his eyes widened slightly. “Ancile. He said ‘Ancile’, that’s your name, isn’t it?”

“ _ Was _ my name, yes.” Trowa corrected. Heero was crying out his name? Did he have subconscious memories locked away?

“Yeah, I’m sure of it now. I didn’t know what the hell he was sayin’ before, but it makes sense now. You’re sayin’ he’s not talkin’ to you? He doesn’t really talk much at all, does he?” Duo reached across the table and took a sip of Trowa’s discarded drink. “You think he’s not into you anymore?”

“I don’t know.” Trowa honestly didn’t. He sighed and waved his hand at the drink. “You can have what’s left.” Resting his elbows on the table he looked back at the Outlands, knowing he’d have to make another run soon once the new cycle started. What would Heero do? Would he leave Aether? Trowa rubbed at his temples, running his hand across his face. He wished he had his memories back. Maybe things would never be the same between Ancile and Aegis.  _ They died the day we both lost our memories...  _

“Heero keeps bringing Elios up. He doesn’t like him… And he keeps bringing the Gate up. There’s something wrong and he won’t tell me.” It was maddening, like there was something at the back of his mind, constantly nagging at him that something wasn’t right. But what? 

Duo didn’t need permission to take the remainder of Trowa’s drink. He was already downing it as soon as Trowa give him ownership of the glass. He smiled sheepishly from behind the rim, dropped the glass to the table and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You know, I’m gonna say somethin’ and I mean it, honestly. Not to be rude or nothin’, but Heero’s kinda…” He waved a hand in the air as if searching for just the right word to pluck from it. “Weird? I just think maybe he changed? Can programs do that? People do- when they get older they evolve, and their personalities shift. Maybe he’s the guy you were made for and in love with before, but what if now he’s changed into somethin’ not good for you?”

Trowa refused to admit it, but maybe Duo was right. They had both changed… He ripped his gaze from the window and looked down at his lap, heart clenching in his chest. “I just wish I knew what was wrong. He’s in pain and I can’t help him. And I don’t think I can exist without him after everything that’s happened… after finding out who we were.”

Seeing Trowa look so dejected was hard, and Duo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Maybe he can’t tell ya? Maybe he’s one of those weirdos who can’t talk about difficult things? Feelin’s and stuff. I have a friend like that back in Hawaii, and when he starts actin’ weird I just take him to a bar, pump him full of Coronas and then pin him down and make him talk to me. It’s like he NEEDS that, someone to force it out of him.” 

Duo waved at the bartender, who came and replaced their drinks with the same as they had before. He shifted them so that the orange drink was in front of Trowa and took his lime one instead, sipping it thoughtfully before replying, “you tell Elios about this? The guy is like the Wizard of Oz, he’ll have a special solution for it, won’t he?”

“I don’t know what the ‘Wizard of Oz’ is, but Elios can’t fix everything. If Heero has changed his mind about us, I wouldn’t want to force him into anything. My existence was… a lot less complicated before all of this.” Trowa picked the orange drink up and gave it a try. The flavor was an improvement.

Duo smirked, his lopsided grin illuminating the better part of his face. “Man, you’ve really got it bad for that guy, don’t ya?” He took a long gulp of the lime drink and chuckled. “So what is it about him exactly? He seems kinda crotchety to me… it is the fancy disc action? The broody scowl he always makes? The way he crosses his arms all angrily over his chest?”

Trowa shook his head and answered simply, “I love him.” He was struggling to assign words to his feelings. Heero wasn’t ‘crotchety’ or grumpy all the time. He wasn’t ‘weird’. They shared a connection that until recently he had been unable to understand. “Maybe I love him because we were programed that way… But I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I need him. And if he doesn’t want me anymore… I guess I… Maybe Elios will erase the memories of this past week.”  _ Or maybe I’ll just erase my existence. _     


Duo frowned, seeing the seriousness in Trowa’s expression. “Just give it some time, man. Ya gotta figure you just found each other, this place is kinda intimidating and he just found out some seriously heavy shit, right?” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest again with a sigh. “It’s too bad you guys can’t come with me. I bet some waves and sunshine could fix you both right up…”

“I can’t leave Elios.” Trowa downed the rest of his orange drink and pushed the empty glass aside. He had no idea what sunshine would feel like, and he’d never seen the ocean. “The Grid really isn’t that bad of a place. But I could be saying that because it’s all I’m used to.”

“I mean, the Grid is okay if you like dark and dreary horror movie settings,” replied Duo with a frown. “You’re a good guy, not wantin’ to leave your friends behind. Who knows, maybe when I get to the other side I can find a way to make like… a stable Gate or something?” The thought had been lingering on his mind for a while. Life for the programs was rough here on The Grid, nothing like he had thought it would be.

“I don’t know if taking programs out of The Grid is going to fix things… I imagine it would be hard assimilating in the real world. I guess I haven’t given it much thought. I never imagine leaving this place.” Trowa wondered what it would be like to live amongst Users.

“Yeah, that’s true. I mean, what would happen if you came out of here anyway? Would ya pixelate and explode? What if your body like… translates all weird when you transfer?” Duo grinned, chuckling. “What if you come to the User world without an asshole or something?”

Trowa looked at the other like he was crazy. “I have no idea. I’ve never met anyone who’s left the Grid and then come back again. I don’t think Elios would allow people to leave if he knew something terrible would happen to them…”

“Yeah I guess so. Huh. I’ll have to look into some shit. Maybe I can reprogram the Grid, or maybe develop programs that can fight D-FILE and those bad guys? I’m not much of a programmer, but I have friends…” he sighed and frowned, running his fingers through his bangs to push them from his eyes. “Would like to know what is gonna happen to that program I met at the bar back in the city…” 

“She’s probably still working at the bar. Why do you want to help us?” Trowa asked curiously. “Do you really think we’d be happier out of the Grid?” Now that the idea was planted, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like.

“I mean, do you  _ like _ living like a fugitive, on the run, being hunted all the time?” Duo asked with a smirk. “Out there nobody bugs you, you can do what you want … well, for the most part.”

“This is the way I’ve always lived. I don’t know what it would be like any other way.” Trowa’s existence followed a set routine for as long as he could remember. The runs, Aether City, Elios. That was his life. “I don’t know what function or purpose I would serve out in the real world…” Programs had a purpose. Did Users?

“Anything you want! You want to sleep all day and eat snacks? Go for it! You want to fuck all the hotties, drink all night, strip and dance on a bar? Go for it! You want to get a job, make that paper, buy a nice sports car and live in the nightlife, you got it! Travel, charity work, or hell you could be a loser who lives on the beach and hoards old, crap electronics like me. The sky’s the limit, man…” Duo leaned across the table and grinned. “If you could do anything, right now- be anywhere, with anyone- what would you do?”

_ Make paper? Sports car? Charity? _ Trowa didn’t know what these things were. No one had ever asked him what he wanted to do with his life, so he’d never really thought about it. “I… I don’t know where I want to be, or what I want to do, but I want to be with Heero.” What  _ would _ he do? His life had always been the same and he had no hobbies, nothing to aspire too. Trowa was slowly realizing he was pretty boring.

“Just ideas, man. All I’m sayin’ is your life can be whatever you want it to be off this Grid. This place is stifling… and fuckin’ dark.” Duo shuddered theatrically. “The only thing we don’t have is those sweet light bikes… I wish I could bring one of those with me.”

“It sounds… good, I guess? The real world.” Trowa sighed and sat back, his mind unable to process the images that flicked through Duo’s. He had no idea what it would be like. Would it be scary? Would it be better than the Grid?

“Man, just you wait. I’ll find a way to fix that Gate and shit so you guys can come and visit. The Grid has been left untouched for so long, there’s gotta be something I can do to fix it!” Duo finished off his drink and looked back out over the blackness of the Outlands. “Don’t worry, I will think of somethin’. Everyone used to say I was crazy and that this place didn’t exist… but look at me? I’m here, I made it this far. Nothin’ will stop me.”

“I like your confidence.” Trowa admitted flatly. “We should head back. You should get some rest before tomorrow… I’ll meet you at your room and take you to the Gate.”

Duo nodded with a smile. “Alright. I don’t know how much  _ sleep _ I am gonna get tonight, but I’ll try.”

 

Heero had passed on seeing the User off. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about him, he just couldn’t bring himself to be under the gaze of others right then. He was exhausted from trying to tell Trowa the truth. It hadn’t occurred to him that he COULDN’T tell him, that they would program him to be silent about his directive.

He couldn’t hibernate. He had lain flat on the bed, on top of the covers, staring at the ceiling for the majority of the evening mulling over what he would do the next morning. What he wanted didn’t matter anymore. The reality was that he couldn’t stop himself. That destroying the Gate was inevitable. He just hoped that Trowa would stay out of his way.

A part of him knew that he wouldn’t.

He closed his eyes and went limp against the mattress. He had docked his identity disc, but hadn’t bothered to change out of his black light suit, which clung tightly to his limbs, the light lines glowing faintly blue.

The door slid open with a soft woosh. Trowa walked in quietly, unsure if Heero was awake or not. He docked his disc and watched as the pixels fell from his body, swiftly removing his light suit. Elios had requested that he stop by that night, but he’d politely declined, something Trowa had never done before. Anxiety swam through his digital veins. Would he be in trouble for disobeying his Master Controller?

The sound of the door and the now familiar, light footsteps of his partner program crossing the room signaled his eyes to flutter open. He sat up as Trowa was docking his identity disc and watched as his body was revealed as the pixels fell away from him. Despite his nervousness and his internal struggle with his coding he was relieved to see him. His presence was soothing, calming.   
  
“Is the User ready for tomorrow?” Heero asked casually. He slid to the right, making room on the bed for Trowa.

“He’s excited to return home.” Trowa slid into bed and lay on his side facing Heero. “Are you going somewhere?” He asked, noticing the other still had his light suit on.

Heero glanced down at his suit and raised an eyebrow, having forgotten that he had left it on. He ran a hand across his own chest fingers pressing deeply into the stretchy, body-clinging fabric. “I forgot,” he said lamely before turning to look down at Trowa, a dark eyebrow quirked. For whatever reason he said, “take it off for me.”

Trowa was about to say no, that Heero could do it himself, but he bit his tongue and slid back out of bed, walking over to where the discs were docked. He picked Heero’s up and quickly deactivated the suit. “I guess I’m used to being a servant.”  _ Where did that come from?  _ Trowa cringed. All that talk with Duo, about being free, living in the real world- maybe it had gotten to his head. Was that why he had declined the offer to stay with Elios that night?

Heero blinked and narrowed his eyes at him as he spoke but hesitated to say anything. He hadn’t really known why he asked him to do it, other than he had a strange deja-vu sensation that Trowa had done so for him before. He had seen him remove the disc and disrobe him many times, at least that’s what the unusual recollection supplied.  _ Am I remembering things… or has Elios’s confession simply influenced my thoughts? I’m imagining things? _ What had D-FILE really done to him? To be rectified meant to be completely reworked, and yet in his programming still existed his AE code, the Aether mark. He had thought it was artificial, but now that he knew his true past it was clear that the code was a remnant of his past life. A small smudge of what he had used to be, still existing somewhere deep in the swirling mass of destruction code roiling in his brain.

“You’re right to be angry with me,” Heero said, nude, still sitting on the bed watching him with narrowed eyes. “I’m sorry for being so… abrasive and confusing lately.”

Trowa shook his head, his back facing the other. He slid Heero’s disc back onto the dock, fingers lingering on the smooth edges. “It’s fine.” _ I don’t understand it, but he won’t answer my questions anyway. _

Feeling Trowa’s frustrations was like feeling the heat emanating from an overclocked CPU. It seemed to drift from his body and sink into Heero’s flesh, forcing the bits of his body to tremor with agitation. He could see the lines that ran down Trowa’s shoulders, across his ass and down his legs pulse slow, and become darker in hue to match the mood that he seemed to be in.

Heero couldn’t talk. He couldn’t tell Trowa what was wrong, how he was feeling or what was happening to him. It was like a curse he couldn’t break, and he wasn’t sure if after he accomplished his directive he would  _ ever _ be able to tell him what happened. For a moment he wondered if being there was doing more harm than good, that if he continued to exist he would simply end up hurting everyone. What if he derezzed before tomorrow morning? Then the Gate would be safe, and Trowa would be safe. He wouldn’t have to hurt anyone… but what would that do to his binary partner?  _ Elios would just continue taking care of him the way he has been. He’d be fine, _ he reasoned with a frown.  _ My being here is just making things more difficult for everyone.  _ For a moment he began to really consider it. How he would do it, where he could do it, and when.  _ I can’t abandon him again, can I? I can’t leave him alone… but I’m going to betray him, wouldn’t it be better if I just vanished, and he never knew what happened? Wouldn’t that be better than the betrayal my directive would cause? _

Something clicked. It was the logical thing to do, but there was a part of him that couldn’t bring himself to do it without clearing one thing up. He slipped off of the bed and stepped quietly behind Trowa, slipped his arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, pressing his cheek against one of his shoulderblades. “I love you. I’m sorry.”

The anger that had been resting on Trowa’s shoulders melted as Heero embraced him, however he couldn’t bring himself to turn around and face the other. “I love you too. The only thing I’ve ever truly wanted in my existence is  _ you.” _

He paused to collect himself before he continued, trying to hold his emotions at bay. “I want you to be happy. I thought you’d be happy here, but you’re not. You seem so uncomfortable around Elios. I don’t know what’s wrong or what I can do to help... You told me you didn’t think you could be a guard here. I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay. If this isn’t what you want, you are free to go…”

Heero squeezed him tighter, his eyes closed just as tight as his grip on the taller program. “I don’t want to leave you,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically weak.  _ But I’m realizing that I might have to… _ “There’s more to me than you know. I can’t tell you…”  _ I physically can’t tell you. _ “Just know that my time with you has been the best time of my existence, and that you’ve done nothing wrong.”

_ Of course he can’t tell me.  _ Trowa shook his head again and let his fingers finally drop from Heero’s disc. He bowed his head, arms falling to his sides. “We should rest…"

The blow of disappointment through Trowa’s body struck Heero in the chest like a fist to the sternum. He didn’t want to disappoint him and he didn’t want to leave things the way they were now, not before he had to… end it.   
  
“Trowa, tomorrow I’m…” maybe if he said it fast without thinking, “I’m going-t-t-t-t-t-to-” His body twitched violently as he lapsed into a glitch.  _ No… he has to know…  _ “And I’m supposed to, ugh!” Suddenly his entire body seemed hot, overloaded. He released Trowa’s body and stumbled backward, the lines on his body pulsing and blinking faster. “D-d-d-d-don’t let… me…” Suddenly the color in his light pattern shifted from blue to red tones and his eyes flickered brightly with the same faded, reddish light. “Without-out-out-out me…”

“Heero!?” Trowa turned around and walked over to him, reaching out. “Shh, don’t talk.” What was going on? He had never seen the other like this before. “It’s okay, don’t talk. It’s okay…” He wrapped his arms around him, flinching at how hot his body felt. He didn’t care. It didn’t matter if the temperature burned him. Trowa held on tight, lips pressed against Heero’s ear. “It’s okay… please… just….” Just what? He didn’t understand what was going on but it was scaring him. The thought of Heero in pain, of him malfunctioning like this- it scared Trowa to the core. “Not without you… never without you. I can’t…” His sentences came out just as incoherent as his partner’s.

_ I’m going to destroy-  _ “d-d-d-d-d-es-” t _ he Gate. _ “Don’t let me hu-ururururt y-y-y-” Everything was turning red, his skin slowly heating from within as his system fought against his rectified self, the energy lashing and whipping against the wall that the code had erected within him.  _ I’m going to overload. I’m going to wipe here- I’m going to release myself, and Trowa, from this.  _ He was frantic, his mind searching for the executable file that would perform the function of a wipe. He would wipe himself like he supposedly had before D-FILE got him. He would erase himself and the the rectified D-FILE code. He wouldn’t hurt anyone. He wouldn’t have to.

Except he couldn’t find the file. The function, one that all security programs should have, wasn’t there. D-FILE had taken it. He couldn’t stop himself. He couldn’t erase himself. He was a prisoner in his own body. “For-forgi-ve m-e-mmmme.” Suddenly his system went into automatic shutdown, forcing him into hibernation, tripped by overload and overheat. His red, glowing eyes rolled back and he went limp.

“Heero?” As Trowa pulled his face away he felt an unfamiliar wetness on his cheeks. He watched the lines fade from Heero’s body and placed his hands on his shoulders, shaking him. The other program wasn’t moving. He shook some more, this time with more force. When that didn’t work he smoothed the hair from his lover’s face, fingers running over his forehead, nose, and chin. “…Heero?!” His voice sounded desperate and broken in the otherwise silent room. “Please… come back.” Defeated and sick with worry, Trowa wrapped the smaller program in his arms and buried his face back down against his shoulder, his own body crumbling over.

_ Don’t leave me, Aegis… _

Heero didn’t move, his entire system forced into hibernation, a sequence utilized for cooling. His body began to incrementally darken, the bright, warmed pink of his skin turning back to it’s usual tone. The dimness of his light lines slowly shifted, illuminating to a faint cyan color once more before his eyes cracked open slightly, his lips parting just enough to let loose a pained groan. “Ancile…?” Where the hell was he? He looked around without turning his head before saying again, “... you came back for me…” How did he get there? The wound he had taken to his shoulder began to pulse, his arm tingling. “... are … where are we?”

Did Heero get his memories back? Trowa’s head shot up and he looked down at his confused lover. _ He thinks I came back for him.  _ A sudden overwhelming sadness draped over him like a suffocating sheet, and out of nowhere he said, “I didn’t… They wouldn’t let me go back for you…” Unable to control it any longer Trowa let the tears fall freely from his eyes. This was all his fault. They wouldn’t let him go back for Heero. He hadn’t been able to save him. Whatever had happened to him after the fall was his fault.

Shocked and confused, Aegis simply stared up at his companion for a long moment, his jaw slack, watching as cyan tears began streaming down his lover’s face. “... why are you crying?” His arms were weak, but he forced them up to let his hands cradle the sides of Ancile’s face, his thumbs systematically wiping the tears away. “Don’t cry…” Was he hurt? He appeared okay. He leaned in and softly kissed the corner of his frowning mouth. “Don’t cry…”

Trowa shook his head and felt a sharp pain in his chest. “I’m not who you think I am… You have your memories back, but mine are still lost.” He didn’t know what hurt worse, watching Heero lay limply in his arms or watching Aegis look up at him confused. What had happened? How did Heero get his memories back? The tears continued to roll down his face as guilt raked his body.

“Memories?” What was he talking about? Aegis frowned, seeing his lover looking so distraught was a rarity. Nothing ever seemed to faze him, and yet here he was looking absolutely fragile, as if a single touch would shatter him. The last thing he remembered he was looking up at the enemy as they descended the cliffside. They had gone. He knew what he had to do. He had to protect Aether, and Elios. He had to protect Ancile. He reached over his shoulder to finger the wound where a disc had sliced him. To his surprise the skin wasn’t newly ripped, no tender pixels around it. It was hard, shallow and painless. How was that possible? 

“... I’ve been gone?” For how long? Ancile didn’t remember him? Did something happen to him? Was he damaged in the retreat with Elios? Did the runaway programs escape? Had they been derezzed? Where were they now? This wasn’t Arjia City.

He wanted to know, but it could all wait until Ancile’s tears stopped. He slid his arms around the taller program’s shoulders and pulled him slowly into himself. “It’s okay. You’re safe. That’s all I wanted…” 

Unsure of what to say Trowa hid his face against his partner’s neck and closed his eyes. This didn’t seem fair. Aegis was back? But Ancile wasn’t here. Trowa had no memories. He felt like a ghost in someone else’s body. Confusion swept over him as he continued to cry, emotionally exhausted and unable to do anything else.  _ It’s not fair… _

Aegis had only seen Ancile cry like this once before, and it had been when they were on a mission and had a particularly close call. Had something like that happened again? Did he almost derez? Had  _ he  _ almost derezzed? Did he think that he was dead? Clearly something traumatic had happened.  _ My shoulder is healed. How much time has passed? He doesn’t remember me… but he knows who I am? _ He wanted to know what happened. Was The Purge over? Was Elios safe?

“... Trowa,” he said quietly, using his lover’s more personal name. “You’re with me. You don’t remember me… but you still want to be with me, right?” He glanced down. They were both naked, their discs docked nearby. He was clearly about to sleep with him, or do  _ something _ with him, right? “You know my name?” Something was seriously wrong. “Where’s Elios?” He needed to speak to their leader.

“Of course I know your name… Aegis. Heero.” The names slipped off his tongue with ease. Trowa didn’t bother lifting his face as he spoke. Confusion and pain had rendered him useless, into a state of shock. “Yes, I still want to be with you. Always. Elios is… He’s in his residence. Probably sleeping…”

Heero didn’t know what had happened, or where he was, but he knew that if Elios was nearby he was the best person to set things right. He sighed, relieved, and ran his hands soothingly across Trowa’s back, holding him as close as possible. “Then everything will be okay.” He carefully tugged Trowa back so he could look into his face, his fingers wiping away the wetness on his cheeks. “Take me to him.”

“Yes.” Trowa straightened himself and stood up, untangling his limbs from Heero’s. Elios would know what to do. He walked over to the docking station and grabbed both of their discs, handing Heero his before activating his light suit. The pixels climbed up his body as he stood there with a determined look on his face.  _ Elios has to know what to do… _


	16. Chapter 16

“Nearly thirty years?” Heero repeated Quatre’s words, his eyes narrowed as he slowly absorbed the news. “Where was I in that time?”

Quatre shook his head, his expression pained. “We don’t know. When you resurfaced you said that scrappers got you and fixed you up, and that you were searching for your way back. That was how you found Trowa, he was running programs out here to Aether.”

With a sigh Heero leaned back into the white couch in the center of the ISO’s opulent sitting area. He glanced over at Trowa, who was sitting stoically beside him, his expression still pained.

“So you created this place to hide from… Clu? No, D-FILE, right?” Heero was trying to get his facts straight. “While you help programs escape through The Gate? Which is a portal to the outside world?”

“Yes,” Quatre confirmed, nodding his head. “We open The Gate in the morning for the User you and Trowa have escorted here from The Grid.”

Heero ran his tongue across his lower lip, his expression thoughtful. “So I didn’t remember you when I saw you?” The idea that he wouldn’t recall Elios, or Quatre, the ISO he was created to protect, seemed highly unlikely. “So you told me who you were, and what Trowa and I are…” he glanced at Trowa with a frown, “and then I glitched?” He ran a hand through his hair, trying to work out what all of it could mean. “When you left me in the gorge I was surrounded by the enemy. I decided to wipe my memories so they wouldn’t find you or the programs,” he explained, recalling his last concrete memory. 

“I shouldn’t be able to remember that, or you, or anything before The Purge but I do. The wipe must not have completed. They must have interrupted me somehow.” Heero ran his hand over his shoulder again, feeling the soft depression of his large scar through the fabric of his light suit. “The enemy must have had me. Maybe I escaped? I don’t remember any of it…”

Quatre frowned. The entire situation seemed a little strange. “But why after so long would they decide to activate you? What if they let you go? Such an unusual situation…”

“Yes,” replied Heero, perplexed. “Did you check my coding?”

Quatre nodded. “Yes, Trowa verified your identification and we ran security monitor checks across your coding. You have some damaged code and a few missing, corrupt files, but nothing that would indicate anything nefarious. You’ve been glitching for a long time, damage and malfunction would be normal, considering you hadn’t … well, reset since you saw Trowa again.” Quatre shifted in his seat, his eyes flitting from Trowa to Heero.

Trowa’s hands were folded on his lap. Heero reached out to blindly press one of his hands over his lover’s. Quatre had explained how he had deleted Trowa’s memories to protect him, and that he had been soft resetting him ever since to keep him maintained. Heero was grateful to Quatre for not derezzing Trowa altogether, which was generally done to any program who became comatose or absolutely useless.   
  
“There is no way to return Trowa’s memories, then? They’re gone forever?”

Quatre nodded sadly. “Unfortunately there was no resources then to back them up.”

Heero squeezed Trowa’s hand firmly. “What about  _ my _ memories? Couldn’t I share them with him?”

Quatre raised a sleek, blond eyebrow as his eyes widened. “Your memories?”

“Yes. Mine. What if I give him mine? He may not know everything, every feeling he ever had, but he’ll know our past, our history. He’ll also come to know my feelings for him…” Heero reasoned, his tone hopeful. “Could you do that? Is that possible?” He reached up with his free hand to unconsciously rub the side of his head in an attempt to push the strange, hollow ache out from behind his eyes.

“I can take a look at your disc.” The last time Quatre had checked the code everything from Heero’s past was missing. Now the memories had suddenly returned and he had no idea how that was even possible. “If I can find your memories, I can make a copy and pull them over into Trowa’s code.” It was worth a try.  

Trowa looked at Heero questioningly. Was Aegis really back? How?

Heero nodded. He glanced over at Trowa, his eyebrow raising at the questioning look on the other program’s face. 

“That’s if Trowa wants them,” he added slowly, realizing that he had just taken over everything and made this plan without any input from his companion. “You’re not obligated to take them.” He squeezed his hand again and frowned, feeling his trepidation.

“I’ll take them.” Trowa said without further hesitation. He trusted Heero and knew he loved the other. Nothing would change that. But it would be nice to fill in the puzzle pieces of the past, since it didn’t seem likely that his own memories would resurface. He continued to gaze in awe at the other, wondering how the tides had turned and now he was the one needing comfort.

“Alright. I’ll need both of your discs.” Quatre watched the two programs closely.

With a solemn nod Heero took his disc from his back and handed it to Quatre. The nagging headache behind his eyes still persisted. He hung his head for a moment, cringing as the sensation became like that of a knife jabbing into the space between his eyes before blinking a few times. He was tired, his body much weaker than he had ever felt it before.  _ What was my body doing all this time? Why do I feel so weak? _

Once Quatre had both discs he suspended them in the air side by side. As they floated a faint blue light surrounded them, linking their data. The ISO accessed Heero’s code first, fingers moving quickly as he searched for the memory bar. When he found it he gasped. No longer empty, there were lines upon lines of code dating all the way back to his creation in 1986. “I have no idea how your memories suddenly returned to you, but I would say this is some sort of miracle. It’s all here…”

Heero eyed the information as Quatre expertly manipulated it. He could see some of the damaged code floating within the glowing nebulous that was suspended between his and Trowa’s discs. He didn’t understand it, either. To self-wipe was to take out everything that was himself, to keep from being taken. How had the enemy managed to save him? Or had his wipe failed to complete? It was a mystery to him as well. He kept finding himself drawn to Trowa, studying his expressions.  _ Why does he look so perplexed? What exactly happened while I was gone? _

“I had no recollection of you?” Heero repeated the stated fact, shaking his head. “And yet you were there, inside me all along…”

Quatre started to copy the files, watching patiently as the data collected in between the two discs. It would take a few minutes to finish compiling before he could transfer to Trowa’s code. He glanced over to see Heero and Trowa staring at each other with concerned expressions.

“I have no recollection of you… and you aren’t inside me anymore.” Trowa said sadly. “I’m just a shell of who I once was. My mind doesn’t remember you, but my body still does.” That was something, at least.

The corner of Heero’s mouth perked with amusement. “It doesn’t change who you are. Who you are  _ to me _ .” As he always had, he couldn’t stop keeping some form of physical contact between them. He moved his hand from Trowa’s and gently touched his shoulder, his fingertips softly tracing the smooth line of his neck before resting gently at the nape. “Don’t worry. We’re together now.”

It was true. They were together now. And Heero no longer seemed to be running from him. Trowa leaned in and rest his hot forehead against his lover’s cheek, closing his eyes. He wanted to be with Heero. That was all he cared about anymore, and it was starting to look like he would get what he wanted. His body ached for a hard reset…

Quatre tore his gaze from the binary couple and looked back at the code, guilt welling up in his stomach. He still felt horrible for wiping Trowa’s memory, but couldn’t express how overwhelmingly relieved he was the two programs had found each other again. The code finished copying and with two fingers the ISO pinched it and tugged ever so gently, dragging it over into Trowa’s field of code. He held it off to the side for a minute while his other hand worked at pulling up the memory bar.    


Trowa’s closeness was soothing and his forehead against his cheek forced the pain in his head to melt away. Watching Quatre work, he studied the code streaming from one disc to the other before murmuring softly, “when you open your eyes, you’ll know everything that I know.”

“Alright, I’m transferring the memories now.” Quatre warned. With the flick of his wrist he drug the file over and released his fingers. Heero’s code started to populate, filling in the missing spaces on Trowa’s timeline, starting from 1986 up until they had parted in 1989. Three short years, but the amount of happy memories between the two were bountiful, and it took a few minutes to finish the transfer. 

Trowa felt a warm tingling sensation at his core that traveled up to his head. He frowned and bit his lip, eyes still closed as the sensation slowly built, heightening with each second that passed, the feeling reminiscent of an orgasm mounting frustratingly slow. Images started to flash across the backs of his eyelids, memories from long ago. They were rushed, like a slideshow playing on fast forward.

With the imagery came a flood of raw, powerful emotion. Trowa cried out, bringing his hands to his head, clutching himself like he was going to explode. His body shook and his breathing quickened. “Heero…” It was too much. It was all so much. They had been  _ everything _ to each other. He felt the love, the devotion sweep off his partner in each scene that uploaded into his system. It hurt. What they had had been taken away from them too soon. It wasn’t fair. How had he ever survived without the other?

Suddenly Trowa’s eyes snapped open wide and he sat up straight, lips parted in a gasp. The transfer was complete.

Trowa’s reaction was more physical than Heero had anticipated. However, once it was done and his partner turned to look at him, it was clear by the shift in his expression and the look of recognition in his eyes that it had worked. He was remembering, or at least sharing in Heero’s personal memories. To test what he knew he simply smiled and tilted his head before saying, “the Aqua tower.”

“We used to race up it… I always got to the top first. Sometimes you let me win, but sometimes I beat you fair and square.” And then they would make out at the top overlooking Arjia city. Trowa flushed and a smile crept onto his lips as the warm feelings flooded his body.

Heero dropped his hand from the back of Trowa’s neck. “It seems he remembers fine. The transfer worked,” he announced to Quatre, turning his gaze to the blond. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done, but also for taking care of him for me.” His expression was sincere, his eyes serious. “You truly are our savior. I owe you so much.” A stark contrast in tone and mood towards their Aether leader, as opposed to his precious cold aloofness the previous day.

Trowa noticed the shift in mood immediately. His mind was set at ease and he was relieved his partner no longer disliked their Master Controller. Consumed with overflowing love, Trowa couldn’t take his eyes off his partner or wipe the genuine smile from his lips. He replayed the newly transferred memories over and over in his head, accepting them as if they were his own.

“I owe you so much as well.” Quatre deactivated the code on the discs and pulled them from the air, handing them back to their owners. “Heero, welcome home. It’s so good to have you back.” He had missed his loyal guard and looked forward to his companionship.

“I know you have the huge task of opening the Gate in the morning, so we shall take our leave of you so you may rest. Please call upon me anytime you need me,” Heero said as he stood, giving the customary Arjian half-bow as he made his departure. Once he was outside of their leader’s chambers he waited at the end of the hall for Trowa to catch up with him.

Trowa walked up and stood by Heero’s side, intently searching his blue eyes. Finally he knew who this program was, knew about their past, what they meant to each other. Everything was making sense, the puzzle filling in piece after piece. Maybe it would be all right that he had lost his memories. He shared Heero’s now. “I knew there was a reason I loved you so much… I couldn't explain it until now. But now I know what an amazing program you are- all that you’ve done for Elios, for Aether, for me…”

With a nod Heero slid his hand into Trowa’s and tugged him closer, his expression serious. “I love you too. Let me show you how much I do,” he said, his voice practically a purr. The meaning of that suggestion made clear. “We have three hours until daytime activation.”

“How much rest do you need tonight?” Trowa started leading them in the direction of the barracks. The desire to have his hands all over his lover, after experiencing all of his memories, was astoundingly urgent.

“None,” replied Heero firmly, lengthening his stride. “Hurry up, you’re wasting time.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who is still reading this, thank you for your kudos, comments and support! We took a break to work on other writing projects, but we're back working on this story! We are SO close to completing it, only a chapter or two left. After that we have plans to eventually write a second part, so keep your eyes peeled!

Meditating was like falling. To really reach your center, and to fully synchronize your energy with your thoughts you had to release everything. Your body, the vessel that was your physical being, must part from that which made you sentient and allow you to free float, weightless, unhindered. The sensation lasted for quite a while if you’d let it. Freedom, lightness of soul. However, to fully immerse oneself in a deep meditation you had to fall.

Elios was falling. He had fully synergized with the energies of the Grid and had become one with the invisible stream of power beneath him and now was flying to the highest of heights. There was only one way to go: down.

In his fall he his consciousness dove through his memories.    
  
_ Ancile… Trowa…  _  his thoughts were fixated on his companion program, his only true friend. The painful memories from when he had mercifully wiped Ancile resurfaced. The look on his face when they had dragged him away from where Aegis fell into the chasm had been burned into his mind, refusing to be stored away in his long-term memory. He could recall it all as if it were only yesterday, the feelings that accompanied those memories were still fresh. Forever present like a hot, smouldering coal burning in the center of his chest, searing him from deep inside.

Despite the two programs having been reunited he couldn’t seem to lessen the ache for them. As he fell into himself he gathered all of those old emotions to him, dragging them down with his fingers as he slid through the narrow, plunging tunnel of his mind until-

“Ahem… “

Elios startled as his mind slammed hard into his physical body, triggered by the sound of someone clearing their voice from behind him. His eyes snapped open and he stared up at the calm visage of the statue of Radia. He waited until the rest of his body caught up with his head. His fingers and toes filled with energy, tingling and burning as they came back to life. Soon his spirit refilled his physical vessel. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at one of his guards, who was standing impatiently at the bottom of the steps.

“Yes, Beskerm?” he replied, his throat parched. He ran a hand through his blond hair to move it out of his eyes.   
  
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but the pathway is lit. The Gate is ready. I thought you’d want to know,” the guard explained.

“Alright, thank you. I’ll be there in a moment,” Elios replied. He gathered his robes in his hands and pushed himself to a stand, shaking his hands in an attempt to regain feeling in his fingers. He cast his aquamarine eyes up at Radia’s statue, sighed and forced a small smile. “I guess it’s time that we carry on our work.”

* * *

Going home was bittersweet for Duo. He couldn’t wait to feel the sand between his toes and the radiant warmth of the sun on his face again, but the sadness from having to leave his new program friends was ever present. He glanced over his right shoulder at Trowa, who was striding along beside him with his hands in his pockets, his eyes raised and fixed on the back of Elios, who was floating ahead of them through the dimly lit, rounded white tunnel they had entered at the rear of the temple. He looked to his left and saw Heero marching along with a stern expression, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

“Hey, you, Mister Happy-Ray-Of-Sunshine, you’re gonna miss me, right?” Duo taunted with a grin. Previously the statement would have forced a dramatic eye-roll and a sigh from the glitchy program, but this time Heero simply crossed his arms over his chest and smiled at him, which forced a smirk from Trowa. 

“What about you, Legs? You’re gonna miss me, too?” Duo asked the tall Runner, lengthening his stride until it matched Trowa’s

“Actually yes, I think I will.” Trowa admitted. The User had the most personality he’d ever seen, and he knew he would miss the jokes and bizarre words that were always slipping from his big mouth. As much work as it had been to safely guide him to the Gate, Trowa was glad to have spent time with a User and to have made a new friend. Life would be a little less exciting once Duo was gone, but he was happy the User was returning home to a place he loved.   


“Aw, pal!” Duo lunged at the tall program and wrapped his arms around his neck from the side and gave him a playful squeeze as he walked. “You’re the best! Why can’t every program on this godforsaken Grid be just like you, huh?”   
  
Elios glanced over his shoulder and smiled as the User clung onto Trowa. It was nice to see his guard interacting with others. He glanced over his other shoulder and saw that Heero was scowling as the User was manhandling the other program, clearly annoyed by it. 

“We’re getting close,” Elios informed them as he continued to lead them through the tunnel and down into the heart of the cliff.

Heero watched the User interact with the other programs from a few paces behind. Trowa had filled him in on all that had happened during the run with the User the night before, and had found the story fascinating. He had personally met a User before, and it was interesting to watch him interact with Elios, who he knew was quite the fan of Users and their world. He had no idea what sort of one-on-one past he and Duo had shared, but from the User’s occasional comments, it didn’t seem like they’d gotten on all that well, which was a shame. He felt like he could learn a lot from him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay longer?” Trowa teased, wrapping an arm around Duo’s side and giving him a half-assed hug back. “Maybe go on another run with me?” He knew the User’s answer would be a solid ‘ _ hell no _ ’, but he help but tease him.

“This vacation is over. Time to send Duo back home.” Elios slowed his pace as they came to the end of the tunnel. Even though he’d only known the User for two days, he’d still miss him. It was too bad Duo couldn’t stay a bit longer and answer more of Elios’s burning questions about what life was like outside of the Grid.

The end of the tunnel led to an enormous grey stone cavern, dimly lit and much more natural-looking than the ornately carved temple they had just left from. A faint, ambient white light broke through the gloom from some place overhead, a thick and heavy mist hanging like low storm cloud high above, making it impossible to see the roof. Fifty yards ahead the dark, grey stone floor seemed to glow, but upon closer inspection one could see that the stone hadn’t changed but abruptly ended to reveal a sharp drop off into a blinding, flickering stream of energy that coursed and thrummed nearly three hundred feet below.

The river of light and energy below was one of the Grid’s power conduits, torn open and completely exposed. The Tron System had been designed to be a perfect environment for programs. In its beta stages it had experienced glitches and errors, but over time and through years of The Creator Kevin Flynn’s exhaustive editing efforts it had been thought to be completely flawless. The MCP* had been responsible for maintaining this perfection in the earlier years, and eventually Kevin Flynn’s program Clu had taken over this task. Clu 2 had followed suit as well, though he had his own ideas of ‘perfection’.

An open conduit was a major flaw, and Heero couldn’t believe that it was still there and that D-FILE and their predecessor programs hadn’t learned of its existence yet

Heero had never seen this place before. Practically everything was new to him; the hidden Aether City, the buildings and the structures. While his surroundings had been closely modeled after Arjia City, he couldn’t help but feel homesick for the real thing. 

Arjia had been a point of light and hope for the ISOs in the Grid, there was no place comparable to it. The fact that it had been destroyed meant that the safety and refuge for so many unique and beautiful soulful creations was gone forever. Aether’s new city may be a point of safety for some but it couldn’t replace the unique and peaceful culture of its predecessor city.

As he watched Elios quietly discuss the process of passing through the Gate with the User, Heero automatically reached up to his shoulder and caressed the slight indentation of his scarred flesh through the form-fitted fabric of his light suit. He glanced over at Trowa and spotted the hairline crack in the identity disc that clung to his binary companion’s back.

The heavy weight of his new reality was gradually settling in. They had sacrificed everything, including each other, for the cause of protecting the peace of the Grid and the safety of Elios and the ISOs, and yet this future he had awoken in was hardly ideal. 

ISOs were still fugitives, unable to live freely among other programs. Users, who should have been revered and celebrated as they had been when Kevin Flynn had first came inside the Tron System, were instead outcasted and hunted like rogue viruses. The remaining people of Arjia were living underground - literally - away from an entity that would have them all derezzed for simply existing.

It was not the future Heero had hoped for.

Heero had never been one to sit quietly and let others dictate the future for him. He knew he wasn’t fully informed. Like an optimistic, newly processed program he had no idea what sort of history transpired in the time that he’d missed. He didn’t know the full extent of the situation, the climate, or the realities that surrounded him. All he knew was that he had woken to a nightmare scenario, and he couldn’t stand to see things as they were now.

Duo had inched up to the sheer drop and was peering down into it with a frown, his hand raised to shield his eyes from the piercing light of the energy stream.

“Shit, that’s a long way down. So that’s it, huh? The mysterious ‘Gate’?” He glanced over at Elios who was calmly staring down at the bright, white light, unbothered by its radiance.   
  
“Yes. When the time is right I’ll stop the flow of the conduit, and that’s when you have to jump through it-”

“Jump?! Wait a sec, nobody said anything about jumping…” croaked Duo, gawking. Had he been in his own world his face would have paled.

“It’s the only way,” Elios replied mildly. “You’ll be perfectly safe. You can trust me.” He gave the User a comforting smile.

“Hey, it’s not that I don’t trust  _ you _ , it’s that I don’t trust my neck to be intact when I fall through that crack in the floor and land on my damn head.” Duo rubbed the back of his neck for emphasis and frowned as he squinted down at the massive chasm at his feet.

Elios chuckled. “If it’s any comfort to you, I’m programmed to heal virtually all ailments.”

Duo blinked. “So you’re like a white mage? That explains that shiny robe getup.”

Elios frowned. “White… mage?” He’d never heard that word in his User studies before. “Is that some sort of malware removal program?”

Laughing, Duo clapped him playfully on the back. “Heh, sort of.”

Nearby Trowa was standing with his hands on his hips, watching Duo and Elios’s friendly exchange with a small smile, completely at ease despite the fact that there was a dangerously powerful open conduit sparking beneath them. It was his way, and it always had been. Anytime they went on a mission or assignment for Aether Trowa had always been calm in the face of danger, logical in his decisions and relaxed in appearance. It was one of the things that Heero admired about his binary partner.

He felt the sudden urge to be closer to him and while Duo was busy trying to explain what a ‘fantasy class system’ was to Elios he closed the distance between them so that he was standing on Trowa’s immediate left. Their hands brushed together as if tugged close by a strong, mutual magnetism. As they came in contact he felt a brief, dull ache begin to form at the base of his skull.

“After this, you’ll return to the city to pick up more program runs?” Heero inquired softly.

“Once the new cycle starts, yes. Will you come with me?” The task would be easier if Trowa had some help. That and he selfishly wanted Heero by his side again.

“Yeah,” replied Heero without hesitation. He couldn’t let Trowa leave to go alone, and even though he couldn’t remember the years that had passed when they were apart, he knew that they both needed time to come to terms with what had happened to them, and to repair the damage their bond had endured from their separation.

Heero also had a strong desire to ‘ _ fix’ _ the things that had gone wrong with The Grid. It was a foolish hope. He was merely a single program, and not even a self-sufficient one. If Elios and his entire Aether guard had been forced into hiding he couldn’t expect that he, a lone binary, could change much. Despite the odds stacked against him he had to try.   
  
“You can count on me,” Heero murmured to his partner, his fingertips secretly tracing the fine lines of Trowa’s palm. They were identical to his own.

After a week of dealing with an indecisive, unsure, secretive Heero those words sounded like music to Trowa’s ears.    
  
“You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that,” Trowa replied. The corner of his mouth perked into a smile and a familiar warmth spread through his system. He was starting to feel more hopeful that they would slowly get back into the swing of things, of functioning together as a binary pair. Of becoming Aegis and Ancile once again.

“Well, I’m not gonna see you guys again after this,” Duo said, his voice echoing from the vast cavern walls. Heero glanced over just in time to see the User grab Elios into a tight hug, squeezing him with great affection. Elios pat the User’s shoulder kindly.

“Looks like I’m outta here,” Duo announced. He turned around to face Trowa and Heero, smirking. “See you guys later. I’ll miss ya.” He saluted playfully. “Though it will be nice to be able to sleep at night without havin’ to hear you guys, well… ya know. “ He winked at Heero with a devious grin.

Heero had no idea what he was talking about. He cast a curious look at Trowa, who simply smile and shrugged. “Goodbye Duo,” Trowa replied, amused.

Heero could recall having seen Elios summon energies many times before before in the form of contacts and communications back in Arjia City but he had never seen him do something as profound as opening a gate to another world before.

“Alright. It’s time,” Elios said as he gestured to the conduit. “It may be easier if you fall backward,” he explained to Duo, who was peeking hesitantly over the edge again. “Turn your back to the opening.”

Duo bit his lip but was obviously trying to play it cool. “Uh… yeah, sure.” He turned around so that his heels were hugging the edge of the cliff and began to toy with the end of his long, braided hair nervously.

The blonde ISO took a position ten feet away from him, faced the conduit and stared down into the blinding white light. Hands pressed against his chest, he closed his eyes and turned his peaceful face up towards the misty roof of the cavern. A long, uneventful minute passed. Duo was shifting his weight in front of the chasm anxiously, practically ripping at his braid as he waited.

Heero’s fingers continued to outline and caress Trowa’s, unable to quell his need for his touch. Eventually Trowa had grabbed his hand, enveloping his smaller fingers with his own while they watched the opening of the Gate from a short distance away.

The white light behind Duo suddenly became even brighter, forming a hazy wall of energy behind him. Steam appeared to rise from somewhere deep within the chasm, filling the air behind the User, swirling and churning behind him like a storm cloud.

The pain at the back of Heero’s skull became more pronounced. Sharp, brutally stabbing, the new intense pain forced Heero’s eyes to squint against the light. His fingers reflexively tightened around Trowa’s.

His partner looked down at him, worry gracing his previously calm features.

“Are you okay?” Trowa asked. A frown formed on his brow and he reached out to cautiously touch Heero’s shoulder.

“Yeah,” Heero replied quickly. “It’s the light, my eyes can’t handle it.”

“Here.” Trowa tugged Heero closer by their entwined hands and wrapped his arms around him, shielding his face from the conduit’s light with his chest. Heero’s knees felt as if they were about to give out, his entire body unexplainably weak. He leaned into Trowa’s body and rested his forehead on the center of his chest, his hands fisting as the pain ripped through the space behind his eyes.

_ What’s wrong with me? _ Heero thought desperately. Was this a side effect of his memory loss? Perhaps he was sensitive to the energy emanating from the conduit.

The air in the cavern began to tremble, the walls seeming to hum with energy. The surface of the dark grey floor flickered and suddenly became lined with white, geometric patterns. Long, parallel lines intersecting at sharp, acute angles flanked large, repeating hexagonal shapes. The patterns started to blink and pulse, as did the visible lines that traced along the ISO Gatekeeper’s body, syncing and becoming one.

The air in the cavern was electrified. Static electricity spiderwebbed through the misty clouds overhead. Duo’s long, messy bangs started to lift as the energy gathered around his body.

Heero peered at the User from behind Trowa’s protective embrace, then followed the lines on the ground to Elios who was still facing the chasm, the lines of his body becoming almost as blinding as the light from the conduit.

_ DEREZ THE GATEKEEPER. _   
  
A strange, searing heat erupted in Heero’s back as if he had been struck there by lightning. He groaned and leaned into Trowa again. The pain was almost unbearable.

“Heero…?” Trowa was looking down at him, concerned.

_ DIRECTIVE. I MUST FOLLOW MY DIRECTIVE. _   


The heat from Heero’s back seeped through his body, burning each pixel of his being. He could hear his own voice making demands of him, demands he didn’t understand. His body trembled and he had the sudden urge to run, limbs twitching with a desire to act.

_ DEREZ THE GATEKEEPER. DEREZ ALL THAT STAND IN YOUR WAY. _

Heero’s body became incredibly hot, the heat seeping through his light suit. Trowa had noticed. His arms loosened and he was looking down at him, shocked.

“Heero, what is it?”

Heero couldn’t speak. The demanding voice in his head was flooding his thoughts, drowning out all else. His vision began to blur, the image of Trowa’s face doubling and turning a dull shade of red.

“It’s ready,” a silky voice boomed from every corner of the cavern. It was Elios, projecting himself loudly, commanding Duo. “Prepare to pass. On the count of three…”

_ DEREZ THE GATEKEEPER. _

“No…” Heero groaned. To his horror his hand was lifting over his head, reaching for his disc.

_ DESTROY THE GATE. _

“One…”

Heero’s fingers came in contact with his disc. He could see the lines of light on his own body becoming mottled, shifting into a reddish, violet hue.

“Two…”

He grabbed his disc tightly in hand. It released from his back with a faint click.

Trowa had grabbed his shoulders. “Heero, talk to me-”

“Three…”   
  
The lines on Heero’s body blazed bright red.

_ I MUST DEREZ THE GATEKEEPER. _

Succumbing to the heat inside him, Heero let his body spring to life with the raw urges that had gathered within. He felt out of control, like a marionette controlled by an unseen force, but he couldn’t stop himself. He shoved Trowa away from him, spun around and flung his disc at Elios.

Leaning back, Duo was preparing to let himself fall into the light but before he could tip over the edge he saw Trowa land on the ground. Heero had pushed him, and a split second later a disc was careening through the air at Elios’s back. Without another thought Duo righted himself and lunged for the blonde ISO, knocking him to the ground just as Heero’s light disc buzzed past overhead and looked up just in time to see Heero running at them, the lines on his body burning bright red, his eyes wide and glowing with the same eerie light.

The mist that hung in the cavern around them roiled as the energy Elios had been controlling was released. The deafening crack of lightning filled the air, the mist along the roof of the cavern illuminating with a chaotic light show with static discharge.

“What the hell, man!?” Duo screamed, clutching onto Elios who was sitting up, his bright blue eyes wide, expression shocked.

Heero’s disc had bounced off of a far wall. It hummed as it passed by Duo and Elios again, returning to its owner. Heero deftly caught it, his stride never faltering, and raised it as he ran, preparing a vertical strike.

“Derez the Gatekeeper,” Heero said coldly, his smouldering red eyes narrowing. He leapt forward, his disc blurring through the air, preparing to strike Elios who simply sat on the ground beside Duo, staring up at him, stunned.

Lightning cracked overhead with unstable energy and the entire cavern filled momentarily with blinding light. A blur of violet light came in contact with Heero’s disc. Trowa had thrown himself between Duo and Elios, his light sword raised, sparking against Heero’s disc, stopping his attack.   
  
“Go!” Trowa barked over his shoulder. Duo blinked before he came to his senses. Scrambling to his feet, he helped Elios up and together they retreated to the entrance of the cavern.

Heero snarled as he saw his target getting away.

_ DEREZ. _

He couldn’t think of anything else. He couldn’t think at all. Reacting on its own, his body kicked Trowa square in the chest before he turned and ran after Elios and Duo’s retreating forms.

Trowa followed after him. He was shocked, unable to really process what he was seeing. His protective programming immediately kicked in. He had to protect Elios at all costs, even if it meant protecting him from his partner. Sword in one hand, he reached up with his other and grabbed his disc from his back. As he gave chase he flung it at Heero in an attempt to stop him.

Trowa’s disc streaked through the air, slicing through the heavy mist that had dropped from the ceiling to collect close to the ground below. It struck Heero in the shoulder, ripping open his light suit, damaging the already warped and uneven pixels of the scar on his shoulder before careening back to it’s master.

Heero slid to a stop and turned around, grasping his injured shoulder, expression flat and emotionless. His eyes glowed brighter, piercing the fog that was thickening between them, igneous and vicious.

Trowa caught his disc as it returned and stopped a few yards away from Heero, frowning. “Why are you doing this?!” He called out through the mist. His partner’s face seemed to contort into something unrecognizable. Hadn’t he seen this before? The red lines on Heero’s body and the chilled look of his face were almost identical to what he had thought he’d seen in the Outlands when the other program had torn his attacker apart. At the time he had thought it was nothing more than a glitch. Was Heero glitching now?

Abruptly Heero ran at him, his disc streaking through the mist. Trowa deflected it with his sword. Heero growled and lunged at him, slamming his fist into Trowa’s face.

Stunned, Trowa doubled back and attempted to ward off his attacker with a swipe of his sword. Heero ducked it easily, jumped backwards, caught his own returning disc and swung at Trowa again.

Armed with his sword in one hand, his disc in the other, Trowa used both to his advantage and kept Heero’s furious swings and swipes at bay. His lover’s expression, cold and calculating, never once flinching, not even when he managed to stab another deep cut into Heero’s side. Striking him only made his partner’s red lines glow brighter, his retaliation more intense.   
  
“What’s wrong with you!?” Trowa felt panic rising in his chest. This wasn’t Heero, it couldn’t be. He blocked a kick to his leg with his disc, dancing backwards to put some space between them. Heero was relentless, staying in his face, making it difficult for Trowa to form a full swing of either of his weapons to make a full-powered strike.

“Destroy the Gate,” Heero said flatly, his eyes flickering, expression distant. Suddenly Trowa realized that Heero had backed him up to the edge of the cliff. He could feel the pulse of the conduit against his back. The mist around them thickened, catching the light, forming an aura around their figures as they sparred with each other in front of the gaping maw of the Gate’s chasm.

“Heero!” Trowa yelled desperately between strikes. “You have to stop this!”

“Destroy…” Heero murmured as he slashed at him, eyes unblinking.

“Heero, please! This isn’t you-” Trowa begged. He didn’t get a chance to finish his statement. Heero’s disc smashed into his, knocking it from his hand, sending it clattering to the floor. Trowa stumbled backwards from the powerful blow and felt his feet hug the edge of the cliff. He righted himself just in time to avoid another blow, expertly spun away from the edge and slashed at Heero’s exposed back, leaving a diagonal rip in his light suit.

Heero faltered and fell to his knees, disc clutched in hand, head hung. Trowa stood over him, sword clenched in both hands, feet spread and prepared to strike again.

“... Ancile…” Heero murmured without looking up. The blackened, damaged pixels from his shoulder wound and back were spreading. “... help…”

Trowa frowned. “Who are you?”   
  
Heero’s body doubled over, his forehead resting on the ground. His shoulders trembled.

“Heero.” Trowa lowered his sword and slowly approached him, his hand reaching out to rest on his lover’s uninjured, quivering shoulder. “What is it? What’s happening to you?” This had to be a glitch. A virus. This wasn’t  _ his _ Heero.

Heero’s shoulder was hot beneath his palm. “Tell me what’s wrong. Let me help you,” said Trowa slowly.

“... you can help me… by getting out of my way.”   
  
Trowa’s eyes widened. “What-” With a blur Heero’s disc sliced through the air and lopped his left leg clean off.

With a sharp cry Trowa fell to the ground and looked up just in time to see Heero slowly stand. Eyes blazing, he loomed over Trowa, arm raised to strike him again. Trowa raised his sword, prepared to block the attack. Heero swung, Trowa’s sword fell to the ground, his hand still firmly attached to the hilt before it disintegrated, its pixels releasing and scattering to the ground.    
  
Trowa groaned and weakly tried to drag himself backward with his remaining hand in an attempt to get away, dragging his remaining leg behind him. His system was powering down as the trauma from his loss of limbs spread throughout his body, darkened pixels infecting their neighbors, mutating him like a cancerous virus. 

“You’ll never stand in my way again,” Heero snarled as he limped closer, eyes locked with Trowa’s, disc clutched tightly in hand, expression hateful. He raised his disc as if to give Trowa a finishing blow. Overhead the dark, electrified clouds burst to life and the ground began to shake. The light from the conduit was dimmed and flickered.

“You’re too late,” Trowa groaned. He collapsed backwards on the ground and stared up at the dissipating energy clouds above them. “You… wanted to destroy the Gate, but now … there’s no Gate to destroy.” With Elios gone and nobody there to stabilize the opening to the outside world it had simply collapsed.

“You… failed.”

At Trowa’s words Heero dropped his disc and cupped his hands over his face. “No…”    
  
_ DEREZ THE GATEKEEPER. _ __  
__  
_ DESTROY THE GATE. _ __  
_  
_ __ DEREZ ALL WHO STAND IN MY WAY.

With no target, no Gate and nobody standing in his way the burning heat of the takeover programming within Heero left his body. “No…”

When his hands dropped from his face his eyes had returned to their normal, deep blue color, the blood red lines on his body having shifted back to a vibrant, blue-cyan light. Confused, he took stock of his surroundings. It was as if he’d woken from coma, but in that deep slumber had still manage to be witness to all that had happened.

His eyes immediately locked onto Trowa’s broken, battered body lying on the ground. His lover’s leg was gone, the damaged pixels slowly continuing to eating away at the flesh of the remaining stump. His right hand was missing, its remaining damage slowly creeping up towards his elbow, his body gradually withering away, light lines on his body dark.

“What have I done…” Heero rushed over and dropped to his knees beside him. “Trowa.” His lover’s eyes were open, blankly staring at the ceiling, his lips slightly parted, their pale pink color now gone. Heero grabbed his face with both hands, thumbs caressing the dark, grayish circles beneath his partner’s deactivated eyes. “Trowa?”

There was no response. Trowa wasn’t moving, and what was worse was that Heero couldn’t  _ feel  _ him anymore. The warmth and magnetic pull that always accompanied his binary partner’s presence was gone and instead Heero felt nothing but a chilled, vast emptiness inside, as if a vital part of his programming had been deleted completely from his code.

“There! YOU! Release him at once!”

Heero could hear the pounding of many feet approaching behind him. He didn’t have to look up to know it was guards of Aether.   
  
“Come back to me,” Heero pleaded softly, stroking Trowa’s face, desperately hoping it would somehow activate him. “Please…” Cyan tinted tears streamed down his face, blurring his vision. He leaned down and buried his face against Trowa’s, his lips brushing his partner’s cold mouth as he spoke. “Don’t leave me…”

_ I’ve derezzed him, _ Heero realized, horrified. He closed his eyes and bit back a sob. The only program that meant anything to him was gone, stricken down by his own hand. Trowa had only been performing his initiative, protecting Elios and the Gate, and Heero had derezzed him.

The reality of what had just happened struck him hard. He had finally found his way back to Aether and to his partner. Through circumstances entirely out of their control they had been ripped apart and for thirty years Heero had been wandering the Grid searching for his lost piece, while Trowa had been suffering in solitude here, underground.   
  
He’d finally found everything he could ever want; his name, his partner, his purpose. He and Trowa had once again become whole.

Now Trowa was gone and it was Heero who had ended him. Trowa had brought him to Aether and to the Gate. Heero had used Trowa’s trust to make him drop his guard so he could derez him. 

Heero had failed to protect Trowa from himself. He had thrown his own lover away and what was worse, he didn’t know  _ why _ he’d done it.

His thoughts were interrupted by multiple sets of hands ripping him off of Trowa’s deactivated body. As the guards dragged him towards the exit he made no effort to fight them.    
  
The last thing Heero saw as he was taken away was Duo standing over Trowa, and Elios kneeling on the ground, cradling his lover’s limp body in his arms.


	18. Chapter 18

Heero stared at the wall across from him in the small, cramped holding cell the Aether guards had tossed him in. It was dark, so much so that he could barely see the wall opposite of him. He was convinced that it was the only dark place in the bright, glimmering white underground Aether City.

It was where he deserved to be. He had no right to be there, or to consider himself a guard of Aether.  
  
If anything, Heero was surprised that he was still functioning and hadn’t been derezzed yet. He had attacked Elios and had threatened the safety of the Gate. What was worse, he had derezzed Trowa.

 _I don’t deserve to be here._ He was a monster. A virus that had infiltrated the safehaven that was Aether City only to destroy everything he came in contact with. He didn’t deserve anyone’s trust. They would be foolish to give it to him, not after what had happened.

Sitting on the floor, he pulled his knees up to his chest and cradled his face in his hands, his fingernails digging into the firm flesh of his face. _What am I…_   
  
At the Gate he had become something foreign, something vicious and unrelenting. He could remember only bits of the events that had occured when he lost control. He had thrown his disc at Elios. Duo had interfered. Trowa was in his way, he wouldn’t move. He had been trying to get to the Gate to destroy it. He _needed_ to destroy it. He had become obsessed with it, the sight of the Gate pulsing and open to the outside world physically pained him. He couldn’t let it stay that way. He couldn't let it exist.

So he had tried to act. He had lost Elios, but he still had a chance to destroy the Gate, but Trowa had gotten in his way. His partner, his friend, his lover and companion wouldn’t move out of the way.

Heero could recall feeling desperate, his entire body searing with a sharp, brutal pain that only eased when he acted in accordance with the words that had been chanting over and over in his head.

DESTROY THE GATE. DEREZ ALL WHO STAND IN YOUR WAY.

He couldn’t remember the fight, only flashes of Trowa’s sword in his face and the feeling of his lover’s powerful blows bouncing off of his disc as he blocked them. He could hear the sound of Trowa’s voice, his tone confused. He couldn’t make out what he was saying.

The next thing he knew his partner was lying on the ground beneath him, still, his body in pieces and dissolving into thousands of pixels.

Heero had derezzed him. There was no way that Trowa could have survived that attack.

Trembling, he raked his fingernails down his own face and bit the inside of his lip, attempting to keep him composure. He felt empty, unhinged, as if the only thing that had kept him stable and sane had been ripped out of him. Trowa had been his anchor, the one thing he could cling to and could always rely on and now he was gone.

 _Now I have nothing._ Without Trowa he _was_ nothing, only the defective half of a program that no longer had a purpose.

The truth was that Heero had never felt this empty before. He supposed he must have during his wandering as a stray program, but he couldn’t recall that time. All he had now were his memories of the past, and a blank space between the time he had fallen in battle and the other night when Elios had restored his memories.

Memories that stood in stark contrast with one another. His past existence had been peaceful. He knew where he belonged. He’d had his purpose and performed his directive with his binary partner at his side. He was never alone.

Life had been simpler then. The world had been more peaceful, and even though their function was to protect Elios and the temple in Arjia City they had never faced any true, brutal enemy. D-FILE hadn’t existed then. Clu and his Black Guard hadn’t become a threat to the ISOs then.

His days had been filled with training, guard duty, and escorting Elios and the Radian acolytes to their destinations without incident. The Grid was a brighter place. Tron City hadn’t fallen victim to crime or decay, but rather stood as a hopeful central point for the Grid’s many inhabitants.

Heero remembered traveling there often with Elios on official business. When their shifts were over or Elios turned in for the evening he and Trowa would freely wander the city without fear of persecution. They didn’t have to worry about being associated with an ISO, and they didn’t have to hide the fact that they were different from other programs. It didn’t matter that they were binary.

That was the world he remembered. The one where he could stand out in the open without worrying about being attacked, where gridbugs didn’t swarm across the Grid destroying everything in their path.

Peaceful. The world had been peaceful.

His mind immediately supplied the image of Trowa standing beside a vendor in the merchant square of Tron City who had been trying to sell him a luminous, bright orange Bit. The floating, polyhedral binary digit was circling his head, blinking cheerfully, continuously chanting one of the only two words it knew. ‘Yes yes yes’ and ‘no no no’.

“Should we get one?” Trowa had asked him over his shoulder.

“Yes yes yes!” The Bit had replied as convincingly as it could.

“Why? It’s useless,” Heero had replied, unimpressed by the gimmicky toy.

Trowa grabbed the Bit and held it in his hands, smiling down at it. “It’s kind of cute.”

“Yes yes yes!” The Bit replied.

Heero rolled his eyes. The Bit vendor was grinning, looking rather pleased with himself. “What is it even supposed to do?”

“It can run errands for you,” the vendor answered quickly. “And it responds to questions.”

“Questions, hm?” Trowa stroked the top of the Bit with a thoughtful smirk. “Let’s see how much it knows. Bit, what was originally called the ‘imitation game’ by its creator?”

The Bit rotated in his hand and blinked. “The Turing Test, developed by Alan Turing in 1950.”

Heero frowned. “I thought it was binary and could only say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”

The vendor appeared nervous. “Well, it has access to all of the Grid’s library database.”

Heero was still unimpresed. “So it can regurgitate data. So what, everyone can do that. Does it have analytical thought?”

Trowa chuckled and eyed the Bit in his hand. “Okay, how about a different question. Does my friend Heero here look happy?”

The Bit blinked. “No. No. No.”

Heero scowled. “Too easy.”

“Alright, how about this one. Bit, do I like Heero?” Trowa asked casually. The Bit blinked, this time taking longer to respond.

“No. No. No.”

Heero rolled his eyes. “See, defective.”

Trowa shook his head. “Hold on.” He held the Bit up to his face, studying it closely. “Okay, Bit. Next question. Do I _love_ Heero?”

The Bit blinked brightly. “Yes. Yes. Yes,” it chirped without hesitation.

Heero stared at Trowa, his expression stunned. “Wait, so you’re saying that you love me, you just don’t like me?”

His partner laughed and handed Heero the Bit. “Just buy me the damn thing.”

Heero could never tell Trowa no, so had obediently bought the Bit for him which became defective and stopped working by the end of the day. That night Trowa had decided to show Heero just how much he really did _like_ him.

Even though the Bit had stopped working, Trowa had insisted on keeping it, insisting that it was important because it was something that Heero had bought him. Trowa had always been sentimental. It occupied the top of their dresser for years after that and Heero wondered if he were to go back to Arjia City if it would still be there.

What was Arjia City like now? Trowa had mentioned the night before that the city lie in ruin, desolated by Clu during The Purge. He had supposedly been there during their run across the Grid with the User Duo, but he couldn’t remember that. He couldn’t recall anything about their journey across the Outlands. Trowa had mentioned Arjia, but was hesitant to speak about anything else. He had vaguely mentioned Outlanders but when he did his expression had shifted, and he appeared uncomfortable and was unwilling to go into detail. Had something happened?

The night before Heero had tried to pry it out of him, but it was no use. Whatever had happened to Trowa was a secret that died with him.

Trowa always kept things from him, at least things that he thought would hurt him. Even though they were binary and could feel each other’s emotions they couldn’t read one another’s thoughts. Those were their own, private and only available to the other if they wished them to be. While Heero tended to be completely open and transparent with his thoughts Trowa was more selective and subdued. He cared about how others felt, and he always tried to protect them from things that could potentially harm them.

Heero knew that Trowa was holding back and protecting him. It was what he did.

 _He had tried to protect me…_ Heero thought with a frown, Trowa’s cracked disc coming to the forefront of his thoughts. He had seen it shortly after waking from his amnesia, and he immediately recalled how it had happened. The battle on the cliffs, during their fight against the Black Guard and Clu. Heero had been struck down and Trowa had sacrificed himself to save him, fracturing his own identity disc in the process. He had put his entire self on the line for him.

Heero knew that Trowa would never have left him had he known that he was still alive and at the bottom of the chasm, looking up helplessly from below. In the end, Heero supposed that it had been better that Trowa left, otherwise the Black Guard would have taken him, too.

 _What have they done to me._ He couldn’t remember. The only logical answer was rectification, the brutal repurposing of a program to transform them into a weapon.

It was against his nature to be a singular weapon. By his programming he was a protector, a defender. He and Trowa both had been created with the ability to fight, but not for the sake of destruction. The need to protect their master was woven into their namesakes.

Trowa’s program handle ‘Ancile’ was derived from the mythical legend of an ancient Roman shield that was considered the Palladium of Rome, or the source of protection. Heero’s handle, ‘Aegis’, was essentially the Greek equivalent, a shield that offered protection as the shield of Athena. Together they formed a singular, defensive program.

They were created to react when threatened and, above all else, to protect Elios. Trowa had followed his directive and Heero had gone blatantly against his.

 _I’ve failed you both,_ Heero thought desperately. _I failed to protect Elios and I destroyed Trowa… even if I have been rectified, shouldn’t my feelings for him have negated that action?_

To attack Trowa was to harm himself. His rectification, in that sense, had been self-destructive. He was like a snake biting his own tail, and soon his destructive urge would lead to his own demise.

 _He could have ended me._ If Trowa hadn’t hesitated and stopped his attack Heero would have lost. Even though they were programmed for one another they weren’t identical in their abilities. Heero never liked to admit it, but when it came to hand to hand combat Trowa had always been superior. It was Trowa’s love and concern for him that had given Heero the upper hand in their battle. Trowa had stopped to help him, and Heero had used that to his advantage.

 _Even when I was about to take out our master he still protected me…_ Heero’s eyes started to burn. He buried his face against his knees. _Even when his own existence was in jeopardy, mine came first._

His throat tightened and a faint, glitchy sob escaped his lips. “I’ve never deserved you,” he whispered weakly.

Heero felt as if he no longer deserved to exist and had the captain of the Aether guard not taken his disc he would have deleted himself. He had attacked and derezzed his lover, he couldn’t control himself, he was a threat to the Gate and Elios and now, without Trowa, he served no purpose aside from being a danger to others.

Soon he would be deactivated. He was confident of that. Without his disc Heero no longer had any identifier. Typically when a program was stripped their identification it preceded their inevitable destruction.

Which he fully deserved. He shouldn’t be allowed to exist anymore. He welcomed the end. He couldn’t bring himself to carry on knowing he had derezzed his partner, and he didn’t want to function in a broken, nightmare world.

 _Just destroy me,_ Heero thought with despair. _Take me out now, while I can still remember who I am, before I forget myself or my lover again_ .   
  
If he were to cease to exist, he wanted to go as Heero and not as the vicious, viral monster that lurked beneath the surface.

 

* * *

 

As Duo hefted Trowa’s injured, limp body up into his arms he was shocked at how light he was. Sure, the guy was missing a leg and a hand, but even with his missing appendages he still seemed to weigh next to nothing. He supposed it made sense, the programs were simply made of code and pixels which had no significant weight to them compared to the dense human bodies he was used to.

“Hurry, we’ve got to get him into the temple,” Elios commanded, his voice steady despite the worry that graced his pretty face. Duo followed him as they wove through the corridors leading away from the cavern towards the temple. With each step he became angrier and more confused as the situation slowly settled in his mind.

Heero had tried to kill Elios, and from the looks of it Trowa was as good as dead. Or derezzed, or whatever the programs called it. Duo looked down at Trowa’s face, bruised and faded as if the light from within him was no longer lit, darkening his features. Was this what a ‘lifeless’ program looked like?

Duo had only known Trowa for a week, but he considered the tall, powerful runner to be his closest friend on the Grid and seeing him fucked up by a guy who was supposedly their ‘friend’ was a hard thing to see. Heero was Trowa’s lover, and while they all knew he was glitchy and damaged, Heero had practically brutalized him. If Trowa were human he would be as good as dead.

The moment they stepped foot from the corridor the temple acolytes rushed over to help them. Two white clad, androgynous-looking programs scooped Trowa up and rushed him into a small, bright white chamber tucked away behind one of the many walls carved with a montage depicting the original persecution of the ISOs during The Purge.  
  
Duo followed them hesitantly inside and watched as they carefully slid Trowa’s disintegrating body onto a long, flat marble slab. Pixels were continuing to fall off of his body as if he were made of ash, falling off in wisps upon an invisible wind.

“Is he… I mean, can you…” Duo stammered as he hovered awkwardly in the doorway. Elios hurried to Trowa’s side and ran his hand over his forehead, expression surprisingly flat. One of the acolytes pushed past Duo with Trowa’s disc and handed it to the ISO, who immediately manipulated it with his fingers, drawing up the damaged program’s code in a flickering, glowing holographic stream.

“I’m not sure,” Elios finally replied, his bright eyes narrowing at Trowa’s code. “This is the worst damage I’ve ever seen a program sustain without their code fully unraveling.” His slender, pale fingertips glided easily through the hologram. Duo watched in awe, recognizing the flashes of Trowa’s firmware and source code as it flashed within Elios’s capable hands.

“He’s not… dead, is he?” Duo finally asked, resting his palms on the cold marble slab as he leaned over the unmoving program. He hated to ask the question, but he wasn’t sure if he was looking down at a deceased body or not. Pixels were still falling away, shortening the length of Trowa’s arm and thigh where his limbs had been severed. If they didn’t hurry and do something soon there would be nothing left of the program.

“His system isn’t responding and he’s completely shut down,” Elios located and selected the fragmented code, working as quickly as he could to try and repair it. He was too focused on the task at hand to let his mind wander to the possibility that Trowa was gone for good, although the thought loomed at the back of his mind, urging him to work faster. He couldn’t lose Trowa. It just wasn’t an option.  

Duo gripped the slab and let out a frustrated sigh as Trowa’s body continued to disintegrate. Time was ticking away. What could Elios possibly do to fix this? He decided to stop asking questions so Elios could focus on reviving their friend, wishing there was something he could do to help. He hated feeling helpless.

Finally the ISO held Trowa’s disc over his chest. The hologram turned a sparkling golden color and a beam of shimmering light dropped from the center of the disc and connected with Trowa’s body. The spread of the damaged pixels halted and the blunt ends of Trowa’s wrist and leg began to glow with the golden light. Gradually new pixels appeared, spreading rapidly, rewriting the program’s damaged code and a few minutes later his hand and leg were fully intact.

Trowa’s skin became radiant once more as the power inside him collected to illuminate his body from within.

“You _are_ a white mage,” Duo mumbled as he watched Trowa’s miraculous recovery in awe. He bit his lip and waited anxiously to see what would happen next.

Once Elios finished with Trowa’s disc he closed the menu and set it on the slab beside their fallen friend. He appeared tired, as if the ordeal and healing process had taken considerable amounts of his energy. He pressed his hands to either side of Trowa’s head and hovered close to his face and waited patiently for his friend’s system to fully reboot.

“Ancile…” Elios murmured. He raised a hand to caress a finger across Trowa’s cheek. The runner’s eyes were still open, but his expression was blank, green eyes dark and unseeing. “Ancile, come back to me.”

Minutes passed by and still Trowa lay unmoving on the slab. Duo was starting to worry again, wondering if it had been too late to save their friend. How could Heero do this to Trowa? He watched Elios gently caress Trowa’s face and talk soothingly to him, encouraging him to come back to life. Despite the ISOs calm front, Duo could see the sadness that hung in his eyes and laced his words. It was obvious Elios loved Trowa very much.

It was heartbreaking.

Heero didn’t deserve Trowa. Beneath his tough, silent exterior the taller program was genuine, caring and unique. Duo respected how selfless he was, and had come to realize that a lot of programs depended on him, not just his binary partner. Heero was lucky Trowa had been so devoted to him— so patient with him throughout their journey to Aether.

When Duo first arrived on The Grid he had been concerned that programs didn’t experience a wide range of emotions like humans did, that they were in a constant state of indifference, focused only on the tasks they had been programmed to carry out. Now he knew better. He reflected on all the programs he had met on his journey. Trowa, Hilde, Heero, Wufei, Elios. Even the Outlanders. They were all dynamic programs, capable of experiencing intense feelings.

Duo turned away, crossing his arms over his chest while he moodily stared off at the white wall behind them. “What a mess,” He murmured, about to launch into a rant about how nothing good lasted on The Grid when his thoughts were interrupted by a barely audible murmur.

“Quatre…”

Duo turned around to see that Trowa had regained his consciousness. The tall program was looking up at Elios, the light back in his eyes and the color returned to his cheeks and lips.

“Quatre… you’re safe…” Trowa slowly reached a hand up to tangle his fingers in Elios’s soft blonde locks. A wave of relief washed over him as he focused on nothing else but the bright, angelic face hovering over him. His master.

“And now so are you,” Elios replied. He tilted his head into Trowa’s touch and gave him a reassuring smile.

An acolyte and Aether guard appeared in the doorway behind Duo.

“Elios. You wanted this?” Beskerm, an Aether captain, said as he stepped into the room. He held up a dimly pulsing, scuffed disc. It was Heero’s.

“Yes. Thank you.” Elios sat up and took the disc from the guard, giving him a tight smile. “How is he?”

Beskerm’s expression darkened. “Secure.”

“Don’t let any harm come to him,” Elios frowned and looked down at the disc, eyes unreadable. “I need to consult the council. Until I do, keep him in isolation. I don’t want anyone near him.”

Beskerm nodded, bowed and backed out of the room, vanishing with the acolyte in tow. Duo watched him go with a frown.

Trowa carefully sat up on the slab, inspecting his new hand and leg with a flat expression. He flexed his tingling fingers and then caught sight of the familiar disc in Elios’s hand. A sense of betrayal flared up in his system and a sharp stabbing pain formed in his chest. “Where is he? Where’s Heero?”

“Ah man, don’t tell me you’re gonna take that asshole back after what he did to you!” Duo put his hands on his hips and went over to check out Trowa’s new, magically sprouted limbs. “I can’t believe it. He turned on us after all we’ve been through to get him here. I thought we could trust him!”

Elios shook his head and turned Heero’s disc over in his hand, inspecting it. “It’s not that simple, Duo. Programs aren’t like Users or ISOs, they don’t have free will. Everything they do is dictated through their programming and coding.”

Duo scowled and shook his head. “Then he’s _programmed_ to be a murdering asshole?”

“Where is he?” Trowa asked again, this time with more force. He slipped off the slab and tested out his new leg, gingerly putting weight on it. Despite the tingling sensation his body seemed back to normal.

Elios pressed a hand to Trowa’s chest in an attempt to urge him to sit. “He’s safe, but he needs to be secured for the time being. We need to figure out what happened.”

Trowa wasn’t happy with that answer, but he bit the inside of his cheek and sat back down obediently. He wanted answers. He wanted to see Heero, his partner, who had almost derezzed him. He felt used, violated.

Duo scoffed. “What happened? I can tell ya what _happened_ , glitch-boy went berserk and tried to kill _you_ and then went apeshit on his _boyfriend_. I don’t think it gets any clearer than that.” Frustrated, Duo tugged at his braid and began pacing the room. “And not only that, he fucked up my exit plan. How am I supposed to get home now?”

Elios frowned. “To open the Gate we’ll have to wait until the next surge. They normally happen in 48-hour increments.”

“Two days!? That’s enough time for psycho to break outta jail and murder us all!” Duo threw his hands up in the air and sighed. Trowa sent a glare in his direction and he brushed it off, walking up to Elios who had opened the code on Heero’s disc and was searching though it with a steady hand.

“I didn’t see anything unusual the last time I scanned his disc. Someone has hidden something deep within his code, reprogramming him to a new directive.” Elios swiped through lines of code, eyes narrowed as he skimmed the contents for any signs of tampering.

“Directive?” Duo tapped his chin with a finger and frowned. “Do ya mind if I take a look at it?” he had been itching to get his hands on one of the binary program’s identity discs since he had learned about them.  
  
Elios raised an eyebrow at him, shrugged and casually handed it over. “He was taken by D-FILE, their technology and newer programs are coded with more advanced methods than I am familiar with. Perhaps we overlooked something?”

Duo peered down at the disc. “Give me a little bit to look at this thing. I’ve seen something similar to this setup on the Darknet and some Top Secret government weapon databases.” Completely engrossed in the data stream within Heero’s disc, Duo wandered out of the room to take a seat just outside the door on a long, carved stone bench and got to work poking and prodding the rogue program’s inner workings.

With Duo gone Trowa turned his attention back on his master. So many questions were coursing through his mind and he needed clarity. “Where is he? Is he alright?” He asked, gripping the edge of the slab until his knuckles turned white.

The fight by the Gate replayed in his mind on a loop and Trowa was left in denial, confused and hurt, unwilling to believe _his_ Heero would do something like that. Unless he had been wrong all along and the other program had indeed been using him to achieve some hidden directive. The thought caused his chest to tighten.   

_DESTROY THE GATE._

_DEREZ THE GATEKEEPER. DEREZ ALL THAT STAND IN YOUR WAY._

Trowa looked down at his lap, feeling betrayed. He had led the enemy into the sacred city and to his master. He had been distracted. He was a fool.

Elios could tell what Trowa was thinking. The hints were subtle, but there, flickering across his face. He set a hand kindly on his shoulder and squeezed.  
  
“None of this was your fault. We’ll find out what happened to him. D-FILE is behind this, I’m sure of it.” Elios murmured and sighed. “You and I both know that Heero would never have done these things. I thought when we revived his memories that he was whole, but I didn’t search deep enough. Something’s there, you saw it too. He turned red.” That could only mean one thing. “He’s been rectified.”

The process of rectification was brutal and it saddened Elios to think that Heero had endured the torture of essentially being ripped apart, reassembled and repurposed. Somewhere deep inside him a weapon was lurking, its mission clear. “He’s a slave to his rectification.”

Aside from being derezzed, rectification was the worst possible outcome. Trowa felt his heart sink, the frown deepening on his brow. “D-FILE took him after The Purge and turned him against us.” He murmured, putting the puzzle pieces together in his head. It was cruel and unfair, two binary programs torn apart and forced to fight on different sides.

Trowa could never stay mad at Heero for mutilating his body and almost ending his life. Not now, not if he had been rectified.

“Where is he… I want to see him.” The urge was almost too much to bear. Trowa looked up at Elios with weary, desperate eyes. “Please. Tell me everything will be okay, that you’ll be able to fix him…”

Elios knew that Trowa and Heero, Ancile and Aegis, were programmed for one another. They were cut from the same code, and it was no surprise that even after such a brutal attack Trowa was still entirely devoted to his other half. It was moving, but also a sad sight to see.   
  
What if Heero _had_ succeeded in destroying the Gate, and what if he _had_ derezzed Trowa? Would he feel remorse or would he continue to drift through the Grid as D-FILE’s secret weapon?

Trowa was entirely devoted and completely dedicated and loyal to Heero but how much of the evening before was an act? Had Heero given Trowa his memories out of love, or was it simply a way to get them to trust him so that they wouldn’t hesitate to bring him to the Gate when the time was right?

“He’s being held in the guardpost holding cells,” Elios finally answered, telling Trowa the truth even though he was worried that he’d do something rash with the information. “It’s best that you don’t see him now. It’s too dangerous, and we don’t know what he’s capable of. He’s rectified. He’s not the program you think he is.” He grasped Trowa’s face and forced their eyes to meet. “I want you to promise me you won’t go down there.”

Trowa flinched at the demand, wishing more than anything that his master hadn’t just asked that of him. He could never disobey Elios, even when his heart ached and told him to do otherwise. Turbulent green eyes fixed on calm blue ones as Trowa gave a quick nod, forcing the words from his parched lips. “I give you my word. I won’t seek him out.”

“Thank you,” Elios murmured, relieved. He rested his forehead against Trowa’s and tried to give him his most comforting smile. “We’ll figure this out. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Suddenly Duo burst back into the room, a grin threatening to crack his face in two. “You won’t believe what I found! This shit was just like that secret Ukrainian government UFO database I cracked four years ago. Same setup and everything.” He waved Heero’s disc in the air, his violet eyes glistening with excitement. “I found your boy’s naughty virus, and man is this thing a doozy.”

“Can you remove it?” Trowa’s head shot up and he looked over Elios’s shoulder at the User.

Elios took a step back from Trowa and quickly went over to examine the disc, watching as Duo showed him where the virus had been planted. “I never thought to look there.” He frowned, realizing how intricate the virus’s coding was.

“Honestly, it’s a weird setup, and if I hadn’t encountered it once before I wouldn't have thought to look. It’s gonna take me a little bit to extract it, it’s got all of these failsafes and shit that keep you from just up and deleting it. I need to make an extraction program first, and then we’re gonna have to… I dunno what you guys call it, but we’re gonna need to defrag the guy to put everything back in place.”

Duo set Heero’s disc on the table and propped his hands on his hips, looking incredibly proud of himself. “Man, I can’t wait to tell the guys back on the forums about this shit when I get home.” Suddenly his expression dropped, becoming crestfallen. “How long did you say we had before I can bounce out of this place?”

Elios looked up at him from studying the complicated array within Heero’s disc hologram. “48-hours.”

Duo sighed, cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. He smiled confidently. “Alright. It’s gonna be tight, but I think we can do it. We better get started.”


	19. Chapter 19

“Elios, we know that you have a personal interest in these programs, but-”  
  
Elios’s back straightened and his normally wide, reflective aquamarine eyes narrowed at the centermost councilman. Five of the Aether City council members were seated side by side along a tall, raised white bench in front of him. He knew these programs well, he had served with them under Radia before The Purge, and once considered them close friends. Over time the programs from the old era before Clu had become hardened, impassive, and cold towards the needs of others. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing now, and the fact that they had become so callous about the situation saddened him.

“It wasn’t either of their fault,” he explained desperately as he held his palms out in front of him in a passive gesture. “Ancile was merely escorting what he considered a fallen guard along with the User back here to Aether. All program scans were performed upon their arrival, and even our security programs didn’t detect the problem.”

A council member huffed and shook his head. “Are you saying that our security here is lacking? How do we know that the binaries weren’t helping one another? Perhaps the binary Ancile helped the betrayer to gain access and hide his weaponized coding?”

Elios frowned. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you saying that Ancile was somehow involved? That makes no sense, then why would Aegis have attacked him if they were working together?”

He ran a hand through his hair and crossed his arms tightly over his chest, attempting to maintain his calm. “They’re binary programs, created and programmed to support one another. Ancile was simply acting in accordance with Aether rule, but also his directive. He was protecting and helping one of his own. There’s no proof that Ancile knew anything of this, and I don’t think it’s fair to persecute him for doing his duty.” He paused, his voice tightening. “He’s lost enough.”

“They’re binary programs. They needed each other. We still don’t even know how Aegis ended up where he was, or what they did to him. It’s clear that he was altered somehow,” Elios reasoned, his voice firm. “There’s no way that Heero would have attacked me otherwise. It’s completely against his programming.”

A tall waif of a program leaned her forearms against the bench and peered down at him with her icy blue eyes, her lips pursed tightly and curved into a dissatisfied frown.

“We’ve fully reviewed the binary program Aegis’s code, as well as the new information your User has discovered. The rectification code is deeply embedded within the program’s source code, and holds trademark tags of D-FILE.” She raised a pale, bony finger and jabbed it at him. “Our council has decided that, considering how embedded and widespread the underlying rectification is, we cannot trust to fully rehabilitate him. It is our unanimous decision to have the rogue program Aegis derezzed as soon as possible for the safety of Aether and its inhabitants.”

Panic swelled within Elios’s chest. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You all claim to be followers of Radia, and yet you deny one of her main teachings. ‘Empathy allows all to transcend to a higher form of thought.’ None of you are displaying any degree of empathy here.”

They watched him impassively, and a heavy tension roiled through the air, filling the wide chamber with uncomfortable energy.

“That program attacked you. He nearly destroyed the Gate. He may have given away our secret location,” one of the council bellowed angrily.

Elios’s shoulders trembled. “Haven’t we lost enough? Haven’t too many fallen at the hand of D-FILE? Clu may be gone but his dark memory still remains here, torturing us, forcing us into hiding. Why must we act as he would? Why destroy others out of fear, without understanding the entire truth of the situation? Radia wouldn’t have wanted this.” He crossed his arms tightly over his white light suit-clad chest and frowned. “Aegis can’t help what has happened to him. He lost everything protecting us, and it was his capture that led to his rectification, and this is how we thank him for his sacrifice?”

“We base our sentencing on the fact that he attacked you, Elios. He has committed a crime against an ISO.”

“I don’t want charges pressed against him,” Elios replied quickly.

“The city of Aether has the right to press these charges. It is out of your hands,” the thin female said darkly. “And as for your Runner…”

Elios’s eyes widened at the mention of Trowa, shocked that he was even being accused here at this hearing which originally was intended for Heero’s sentencing.  
  
“He is innocent in all of this,” he said sadly. “Please, he’s suffering enough. His existence has been nothing but suffering. He will never forgive himself for what has happened. I think that’s punishment enough.”

The council turned to each other and began to exchange hidden words, whispering and murmuring amongst themselves for a few minutes while Elios remained standing before them, awaiting their decision. Finally the stern program in the center spun in his seat and stood. All fell silent as he recited his verdict.

“The offending program, binary Aegis, will be derezzed (insert time). He is a danger to the city, and there is no way to safely and thoroughly rehabilitate him. This is the most logical course of action.”

Elios felt a sharp pain twinge his chest and his stomach dropped as the words were spoken. He bit his lower lip as he tried to hide his displeasure.

“As for Security Program and Runner Ancile, he will be pardoned per your request, but will never again be allowed to leave the protective walls of Aether. He must be repurposed for inner-city work. The best solution is to have his memories wiped, to prevent any conflict concerning his attachment to his binary partner. We cannot have a security program functioning in a compromised emotional state, nor can we risk him being somehow influenced by D-FILE while he was operating on the outside.”

It was not the solution Elios had hoped for. The council was basically suggesting that Trowa could be there in body, but that they wipe who he was from his memory, again. The first time Trowa had lost his memories it was out of mercy, now it would be in punishment.

The room fell silent as the decision was announced. Elios knew there was nothing he could say or do to change their decision. It was five against one.

Frustrated, Elios waited for the council to stand and exit before he spun on his heels and marched irritably out of the chamber.

 

* * *

 

The grey sheets lay in a tangled mess atop the mattress, dipping and pooling in abstract shapes that told the story from the night before, when two programs blinded by lust had made love on the soft threads. Trowa leaned against the wall and narrowed his eyes at the bed. The dirty sheets were mocking him.

He’d been detained inside the barracks ever since the Council had passed their sentencing. Two guards stood watch outside the door to his room so that he couldn’t leave until the Council gave their orders. They’d taken his disc and no one was allowed to see him, not even Elios.

Trowa wasn’t sure how many agonizing hours had passed since he stood there, staring at the bed, body unmoving. He couldn’t stop thinking about Heero. The Council had sentenced his partner to death, citing their opinion that they couldn’t rehabilitate him. They had found proof that he was rectified, and apparently it was beyond repair. Trowa would never see him again, but after his own sentence was carried out he wouldn’t be able to remember him anyway. Despite this, it still hurt him to know that he would never get to say goodbye.

By now all the hurt and anger over Heero’s deception had been replaced with guilt and pity. Trowa couldn’t stay mad at the other, not when Heero had been rectified. The directive to destroy The Gate had been planted deep within his code against his will.

All of this could have been avoided. Heero’s brutal rectification, Trowa’s painful memory wipe, the lost time spent apart, the attack on Elios. None of it would have never happened had Trowa continued his search for his fallen partner during the battle against the Black Guard. D-FILE never would have gotten their hands on Heero had he stayed.

_I abandoned him,_ Trowa thought forlornly. _He would have never abandoned me._   
  
Had he kept up his search everything would have gone back to the way it had been, right? They would have been together, and the Council wouldn’t be sentencing Heero to death.

Trowa felt responsible for everything.

_I have failed my master. I have failed my lover._

What would he do now without Heero? They would wipe his memory again. That option seemed worse than death, and if Trowa had a choice he would choose to be derezzed alongside his partner. He didn’t want to exist in a world without Heero, without his memories. Not again.

And to lose his freedom, to be trapped inside the city walls for the rest of his existence, would be torturous for a normally nomadic program. Who would be The Runner now? Who would carry out Elios’s bidding?

The Council had taken his disc to prepare it for his memory wipe. Without it he no longer had access to his light suit, so instead he was clad in a loose white t-shirt that hung off his shoulder and a pair of tight black pants. Trowa finally broke his pose, reaching up to fix the neckline of his shirt before gently lowering himself down onto the cold sheets of the bed. He collapsed and curled in on himself, closing his tired eyes.

He needed a reset. He needed Heero. He was tired of being alone.

Being a single unit in a binary pair, especially one that was forced apart, was to live a painful existence. Trowa had spent his earliest and fewest years with his partner, and it was only then that he felt normal. Natural, and at ease. Once Heero had left he’d forgotten him, but he never felt ‘normal’. The nagging feeling like he was missing something, that he’d left something behind, had plagued him his entire existence until his chance meeting with Heero in Tron City.

Except that it hadn’t been chance. Heero had sought him out to use him. D-FILE had chosen to keep Heero because he _was_ half of a larger whole. They manipulated Heero just as they had manipulated _him._ They knew it was against Trowa’s programming to deny Heero access. They had to have known that once together they would become inseparable, even if he and Heero hadn’t realized why.

Trowa frowned and buried his face into his pillow. The last week had been a roller coaster experience, with its various highs and lows, unexpected twists and turns. He was exhausted, and tired of feeling perpetually confused.

_At least when they wipe me, I won’t know what I’m missing._ He supposed that not knowing was better than grieving about what he was lost, though he was sure he’d still live the remainder of his life unhappy, trapped here like a caged bird, forever seeking the shadow of his memories and the mystery program who used to occupy them.

He could feel his tired system gradually shutting down. Quatre’s healing had restored his limb and hand, but had done little to ease the chaos of his emotions. His last thoughts before deactivating for the evening were of what he would do if he could just see Heero one last time.

 

* * *

 

Aegis woke screaming. Upon rousing he had no idea that the noise was coming from him. As soon as his entire consciousness completed its activation he came to realize the reality of his situation, which only seemed to fuel his agonized cries.

A loud mechanical whirring came from the program rectification probe as it pressed hard into the center of his chest. He hung limply from it as its electromagnet held him firmly aloft as he dangled helplessly from his sternum. He reflexively tried to grab its robotic arm to support himself but found that his arms were bound tightly behind his back. He weakly kicked his legs and soon his horrible screams morphed into low, pained groans. He blinked a few times and tried to take in his surroundings.

He was in a strange, orb-shaped room that glowed crimson red and was suspended naked by a powerful magnet that was pressed deep into the center of his chest. A long, bent metal arm protruded from a black hole in the floor to hold him suspended in the center of the spherical room.

He was terrified. Where was he? Who was he? What was this place? What was happening to him? He struggled in vain against his bound arms and tried to twist away from the magnet’s deep, penetrating hold. The magnet seemed to reach through his torso to grab a hold of his spine as it held him.

He heard a faint, throbbing noise come from all around him.

“Rectification process, activated,” a computerized voice announced. It seemed to come from all around him. He twisted his body against the magnet and cried out as a dozen blinding red lasers shot out from the inner walls of the sphere and began tracing the blue lines on his body with searing heat to rewrite his program code.

The process seemed to take hours when in reality only a mere handful of seconds had passed. He began to pant as a hot, molten sensation stirred in his chest and began to emanate from his center outward to the most distal parts of his body. Finally his eyes began to burn. As he closed them to seek relief he was filled with new knowledge, and as he opened his eyes the heat that had encompassed his being gradually faded away.

“Rectification, complete,” the voice from before stated plainly. “Program. Identify yourself and state your directive and function.”

He let forth a loud, raspy gasp like that of the first breath of a baby, born anew.  
  
“I am Security Program Heero,” he said firmly and with conviction. “My function is to derez and destroy at the command of D-FILE. My directive: destroy The Gate, the Gatekeeper and all who stand in my way.”

 

* * *

 

Footsteps at the door roused Heero from sleep. He straightened against the holding cell wall and narrowed his eyes at the door as it opened, a pale pane of light pouring out across the ground at his feet. A small figure flanked by two large, bulking guards appeared within the shaft of light.

“Come, prisoner,” the guard on the left bellowed a command. Heero made no move to stand, but as his eyes adjusted to the bright light he recognized Quatre standing in between the two guards.

“... what do you want with me?” Heero asked as he stood, frowning. Quatre smiled.

“To escort you to the temple of course,” he explained casually. “You requested a ceremony of last rites, didn’t you?”

Heero hadn’t. Quatre was staring at him. “Yeah,” he lied, casting a sideways glance at the guards.

“Well then, come. It’s time to make your peace with Radia,” the blonde ISO commanded.

Heero followed Quatre, flanked by his guards, out into the hall and through the city to the temple in silence. It wasn’t until they entered one of the plain, pure white prayer rooms tucked in the corner of the room that Quatre dismissed his guards, telling them to stay outside the door. As the door closed behind him Heero spotted Duo leaning in the corner with an identity disc in hand.

It was Heero’s disc. The User grinned at him and spun the disc casually on his index finger. It whirred softly, blurring above his hand. “This is the part where you thank us.”

Heero looked from Duo to Quatre, obviously confused. “Why…?” He couldn’t understand why they would try to help him. He had almost killed Quatre. He had derezzed Trowa and would have done the same to Duo if he had stood in his way.

“You have been sentenced unjustly,” Quatre approached Heero. “I will not stand by as the Council derezes one of my loyal guards. Duo,” He glanced over his shoulder at the braided User. “Could you please remove Heero’s light suit?”

Duo grinned. “Heh, I’ve always wanted to do this.” He opened the clothing menu on Heero’s disc and within moments his ripped and torn light suit melted away, leaving him completely exposed.

Heero made no move to cover himself. “I killed Trowa.” Saying the words made him flinch. “I don’t deserve your mercy.”

“We found the rectification virus D-FILE implanted in your code. You couldn’t control your actions.” Quatre scanned over Heero’s battered body, sizing up every bruise and laceration. He reached out to touch the large gash on the program’s side with a frown. “Trowa survived.”

Heero’s eyes widened at Quatre’s words. _What did he say?_ He turned to face him, expression clearly reflecting his shock. “You’re saying I-”

Duo scoffed. “Yeah, loverboy. You didn’t kill him, thanks to Quatre over here. Lucky he got him patched up when he did.” He was still unsure about Heero. It was hard to trust someone when they flip-flopped every five seconds. He tucked Heero’s disc under his arm and frowned. “But he’s not out of the woods yet. Thanks to you and your crazy murderous streak he’s locked up, too.”

That didn’t make any sense. Heero ran a hand through his hair, confused. “Why would they punish him? He hasn’t done anything wrong.” _Except for care about me,_ he thought sadly.

Quatre channeled his energy into his finger until a white glow emitted from the tip. He carefully ran his index and pointer fingers along the gash on Heero’s side, sealing it up and healing it at the same time. The angry flesh soothed under his gentle touch. “You’re right. He hasn’t done anything wrong. Which is why you are going to save him.”

“Save him from what?” Heero’s shoulders squared. He would do anything, go anywhere, to find Trowa. His head was still reeling with the thought that he was alive. Was he far? The empty void in his chest from the thought of his destruction was filling with hope. It didn’t matter if he had to _save_ him or not, he wanted to see him. He needed to touch him, to make sure he was really safe. “Where is he?”

“Locked in his room in the barracks. The Council believes Trowa is a risk to Aether security, and that he is at fault for leading you into the city. They have sentenced him to a memory wipe, to remove all aspects of you from his system. And he has lost his freedom. They will not allow him to leave the city walls again.” The unfairness of it all stung with each word the ISO spoke.

Quatre moved to stand behind Heero, running his healing fingers over the bruises and cuts that littered the expanse of his back. His hand stopped over the large scar running across Heero’s left shoulder. It was an old wound.

Heero crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing at the wall beside where Duo stood. “No. I won’t allow that to happen.”

“Heh, well you won’t be goin’ anywhere until you get fixed up, pal. And…” he pulled Heero’s disc from under his arm and opened it with a twiddle of his fingers. “I happened to make extraction software that can help. You can thank me later.”

“Hm…” Heero watched him as he pulled something up on the hologram. He could feel the cool, methodical tingling wave of Quatre’s fingers tracing and healing his wounds.

“Not gonna lie, it’ll probably sting.” Duo gestured to the ground. “You might wanna sit down for this.”

Heero lifted his chin defiantly. Duo rolled his eyes.  
  
“Alright then, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” The User sighed, shook his head and with a flick of a finger activated the extraction program.

Heero’s body stiffened, and no amount of soothing energy from Quatre could negate the feeling of his source code being shredded inside him. He doubled over, rested his palms on his knees and closed his eyes, feeling the virus deep inside him gradually being rooted out and destroyed, line by line.

“Return to me, Aegis.” Quatre said softly as he took a step back, watching his guard endure the extraction. He had never tried anything like this before and was fully relying on Duo’s software to clear Heero of D-FILE’s directive.

Heero gritted his teeth and tried to regain his composure. Every pixel in him ached, the pain excruciating. “Hnnnnmmmm…” He didn’t know how much more he could take. His vision blurred and became double as he felt his body being ripped in two. Finally there was a sudden sensation of release as the final line of infected code was removed from the deepest parts of him. He felt liberated.

He stood to his full height again and rubbed the back of his neck, his entire body covered with a pinprick tingling sensation, muscles aching from the strain. “Is it over..?”  
  
Duo looked down at the disc and smirked. “Yeah. Congrats man, you’ve got a clean bill of health.”

“Healed, inside and out,” Quatre added as he pat Heero’s bare shoulder. “Though that scar on your shoulder wouldn’t lift all the way, I’m afraid you’ll have to bear it indefinitely.”

Heero’s fingers absently rose to caress his shoulder. The scar, which had once been deeply embedded in his skin, was nothing more than a faint indentation. “I will bear this scar with pride,” he murmured confidently. It was where he had taken a disc for Trowa during The Purge so many years before.

_Trowa._ Heero frowned, walked over to Duo and held his hand out for his disc. As it came in contact with his body his light suit returned to his body, crawling across his newly healed flesh. He pressed it into his back and turned to Quatre, expression solemn.

“Alright. What do I do?”

Quatre smiled and grabbed a white robe from a nearby ledge built into the white stone wall. He held it out to Heero. “Here’s the plan…”


	20. Chapter 20

Getting past the guards was easier than Heero had thought it would be. Quatre’s captain of the guard, Beskerm, had given him directions to travel through a series of hidden underground tunnels that led him to the Aether Guard barracks where Trowa was being held until his memory wipe the following day.

It was late, the corridors were relatively empty, and what few people did spot him only saw his robed disguise and not the rogue, wanted program beneath.

One of the Radian acolytes had loaned him a hooded white robe, which he kept pulled down over his eyes to obscure his face as he traveled through the underbelly of the city and whenever he encountered someone he simply muttered, ‘ _ and so the way of Radia is the way of all programs _ ,’ or ‘ _ may you always be functiona _ l’ in response.

His disguise had worked. At least, it had on everyone except the guards outside of Trowa’s room. The pair posted outside the door had been skeptical, and when one demanded to see his face he acted. Both programs fell to the floor with precise blows to the sides of the head and were quickly tucked into a nearby empty hallway in the event someone that happened to pass by.

The keypad outside of Trowa’s room was impossible to hack. Quatre had given him a series of codes to try, all of which failed to activate the door so he had to resort to the more straightforward way of gaining access.

Circuitry shafts. He found an access door a few halls down and had made quick work of opening the grate so he could shimmy through it. His white robes got in the way and kept snagging on roughly dug edges of the tube-like shafts so he discarded it in a bare corner before crawling his way through the maze of turns and curves until he finally found the hologram that blocked access to Trowa’s room.

As he peered through it he could see the barracks room clearly. A single bed in the center of a bare, utilitarian space barely able to accomodate one person. It reminded him of their rooms back in Arjia City before he and Trowa had moved out of the guard barracks proper to find their own space.

A figure was curled up on the bed in loose clothes. He didn’t have to see the details to know it was Trowa by the way it was lying on its side. Trowa always slept the same way, one arm tucked up under his head, his upper leg extended forward, normally pressed between  _ his  _ legs as they slept intertwined _. _

_ Nothing’s changed, _ he thought with a wistful sigh as he fidgeted with the projector to the rectangular grid hologram that blocked his way. A minute later it flickered out of sight. He climbed carefully out of the high hole in the wall near the ceiling and hopped silently to his feet. His hand immediately grabbed for Trowa’s disc hanging firmly secured at his hip. Duo and Quatre had managed to get it from the security in the Council chambers where their Programmers had been preparing it for a full memory wipe - Trowa’s punishment and ‘rehabilitation’.

As he neared the bed Heero could see that Trowa’s expression was worried, even as he hibernated. His sleek eyebrows were gathered high and together atop his head, his lips pursed tightly, corners turned slightly down into a frown.

He looked at Trowa’s arm and saw that his hand had been restored just as Quatre had said, and the leg that Heero had sliced was back to normal. In fact there was no indication whatsoever that not long before Trowa’s body had been victim to Heero’s vicious attacks.

Heero couldn’t help but feel grateful to Quatre. If the blonde ISO hadn’t have been there, Trowa would have surely perished at his hand.

He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if Trowa had derezzed.

He quickly shook the thought out of his mind, watched Trowa sleep for another few stolen seconds and then reached down to caress his shoulder with a finger. The other program didn’t respond.

Like himself, Trowa was programmed to defend and would act accordingly under threat. He knew he was going to have to be careful when rousing him.

He positioned himself behind Trowa, propped himself up on his hands and knees and reached out slowly, hesitated and then cupped his hand over Trowa’s mouth. 

“Ancile,” he whispered loudly into Trowa’s ear.

Startled, Trowa’s eyes immediately snapped open, both hands dug into the mattress, and he bit down Heero’s hand, his digital pulse racing.  _ Have the guards come to take me? _ His fight reflex was screaming for him to act, and he frantically began to strain against the hand over his mouth.

It wasn’t the first time that Trowa had bitten Heero, and it probably wouldn’t be the last. Heero snatched his hand back and reflexively grabbed Trowa by the throat, fingers tight around his neck, pinning him to the bed with one hand to keep him his dangerous companion from lunging up at him. Trowa’s body shifted on the mattress beneath him. Anticipating his movements Heero quickly straddled his waist to still him, his thighs tight around Trowa’s torso, his face dropping down so that their noses brushed together as he spoke.    
  
“Ancile. It’s me.”

“Aegis?” Trowa’s eyes widened as he stared up at Heero in shock. 

There was something incredibly sexy about Trowa’s wide-eyed, slackened surprised expression as he stared up at him from the bed that was irresistible. How long had it been since they were this close? Heero felt the connectors in his body pulse with energy, instantly comforted by the presence of his binary partner, their glowing cyan light lines pulsing in sync, as one.

They were supposed to be making their escape. Heero had planned to tell him that he was sorry for everything that happened, that he sought his forgiveness, but suddenly none of that mattered. In that moment all he wanted was to feel the cool, shapely line of Trowa’s lower lip against his own.

Acting on impulse, Heero claimed Trowa’s mouth, hand firmly grasped around Trowa’s neck as he claimed the other program’s stunned mouth, proving to him that he was  _ indeed _ there and that he had missed him.

“Heero,” Trowa gasped once their mouths finally parted. He reached up to tangle his fingers in his lover’s hair, giving a firm tug as if to verify that he was real, that he was actually there. “How did you get in here?”

“Crawled through the circuit shaft,” Heero murmured, trying not to get too excited at the familiar tugging of his hair. It was one of his favorite gestures of affection from Trowa. “I’m here to save you.”

_ That sounded lame _ . He loosened his hand from Trowa’s throat and caressed his face instead. Sure, he was technically there to save his partner from his memory wipe, but who was going to save Trowa from  _ him _ ?    
  
“I had to come. Myself. To see that you were okay.” His thumb glided over his partner’s lower lip, ghosting over the echo of his kiss from only a moment before. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for what I’ve done.”

Even if it wasn’t his fault, Heero felt guilt over hurting Trowa. Under normal circumstances he would never have dreamed of hurting him. To harm Trowa was to harm himself.

Trowa knew Heero’s apologies were sincere. He could tell something was different, or rather,  _ familiar _ about his partner. It felt like Heero was no longer carrying a heavy burden, no longer hiding something from him. He appeared confident and certain, like he now had a clear path to follow. “The rectification code. It has been removed.”

“Yeah.” Fully functional, un-rectified and able to access the full storage of his memories, Heero was finally completely restored. “I tried… to tell you.” Heero frowned and ran his hand across his lover’s jaw. “It had a failsafe, to prevent me from talking about it. It reset me. Duo and Quatre removed it.”

It was a painful thing to have to admit that he had been under the control of something else. Heero was a proud program and always considered himself capable of tackling any obstacle. The fact that the code had subdued him to the point of being its slave was a hard pill to swallow.

“I did things I regret. I don’t know if you can ever forgive me for what I’ve done to you, and to the others.” Heero bit his lip and frowned as he tried to find the right things to say. “My actions weren’t all scripted. It may have directed me here, and made me tell you lies, but the one thing I could never lie about is my feelings for you.” Which was true. D-FILE had modified and deleted many things, but it hadn’t modified his emotions.

“No matter what happens from here on out, I want you to know that I love you. I always have, even when I didn’t know you were  _ meant _ for me. I felt it.”

This was the Heero that Trowa remembered. The one who spoke his mind, who wasn’t aloof or standoffish, who wasn’t afraid to express himself physically and verbally. Relieved, and trusting that Heero spoke the truth, Trowa nodded and slid his hand down the front of Heero’s light suit, fingers tracing the raised cyan light lines that framed his partner’s chest.

“I knew I loved you, too. I believe you, I’ll always believe you. You have to know that you’ve always had my trust, even if you didn’t always deserve it.” Trowa leaned forward, his lips brushing Heero’s as he spoke. “So you just came to  _ save _ me?”   
  
Heero smirked. He knew exactly what his partner was thinking, accurately reading the sly smirk that crossed his elegant mouth. “You’ve always been one to want to do that at the most inappropriate times.”

Trowa chuckled. “You’ve never complained before.”

Heero’s fingers dug into the back of Trowa’s neck. “No, you’re right, I haven’t,” he murmured. “But that will have to wait. Do you want me to save you or not?”

With a smile Trowa closed the short distance between their mouths, wasting no time tasting the familiar tang of his partner’s lips with a slip of his tongue. Heero fell forward, leaning against him, parting his lips to allow Trowa access. Hands explored one another, as if for the first time. When they parted again neither was willing to pull too far away.

“Let’s go,” Heero breathed reluctantly, his hand still clenched on the nape of Trowa’s neck, making no move to leave. Trowa’s hand dropped down to his identity disc hanging from Heero’s hip, grasping it firmly, feeling its familiar weight in his hand. He pulled it off of the tether and pressed it into his back, his data streaming through it, feeling comfortable once again with his tag and identity firmly in place. His clothes melted away, replaced by his clingy black light suit.

“Alright,” Trowa said slowly as he stood from the bed, grabbing Heero’s wrist as he did. His light sword materialized on his hip. “Lead the way.” His hand grabbed Heero’s, squeezing it tightly.

Heero squeezed back. “This time, I’m not letting go.”

Trowa couldn’t help but smile. “Good.”   
  


“It’s the only way.”

Sitting on one of the plush, white couches of the anteroom to Quatre’s villa, Duo watched as Heero and Trowa sat side by side as they took in Quatre’s words. It was an awkward conversation to witness, especially after everything he had learned about the trio. Heero and Trowa had been created specifically to guard Quatre, or Elios, during his passage through The Grid. When Heero vanished Trowa had forgotten everything about him, only to adopt a lover/companion role for Quatre. For thirty years the guy served the blonde ISO’s every need, platonic and intimate.

Now he was telling him to go. Trowa was frowning, his eyes locked onto Quatre as he stood in front of them, hands folded together, expression solemn.

“I can’t leave you,” Trowa finally replied. “There has to be another way.”

Quatre shook his head. “There isn’t another way. If you and Heero stay here you’ll both live like fugitives. Most runaways come here to Aether for protection, you will have neither this place nor anywhere in Tron City to go. You could live in the Outlands, but what sort of life would that be? You’ll be hunted by all sides. Aether, D-FILE, the Outlanders…”

Heero said nothing in response to Quatre’s news, his face betraying no emotion. “We don’t know what will happen to us on the other side. In the User world.” 

ISOs had been escaping through various portals and doorways for years, with the occasional program or two wanting to take the jump. Could a program survive the transformation into a User? There was no way of knowing what a pure program translated to when they turned ‘human’, let alone what it could do to a rare binary pair such as he and Trowa.

“I’m not sure what will happen, either,” Quatre admitted slowly, studying Heero’s face as he spoke. “Nobody has ever come back…”

Duo cleared his throat, hesitant to chime in. “You guys don’t gotta worry, where I’m from it’s easy for people to just kinda blend in and disappear. I live in a secluded area, and it’s kinda rough livin’, but I’m sure you’ll get used to it, huh?”    
  
Duo felt awkward about the situation. For one thing, Quatre had only dropped the bomb on him an hour before right after Heero had left that he wanted Duo to take the binary pair with him. At first he had been unwilling to do so. He just wanted to go home, he wasn’t ready to take on the responsibility of pets, let alone two! However, the more he thought about it, the more exciting the prospect got. He could have roommates, and it would be fascinating to see how the programs would translate into a human form once they jumped worlds. That is, if they didn’t implode in on themselves or burst into giant piles of meat and guts first…

“You are not obligated to take care of us,” Heero said firmly, his expression somber. His hand rested casually on Trowa’s thigh as he spoke. “I can take care of myself, and Trowa.”

Duo snorted and tried not to laugh. “Yeah, okay, sure. You’ve got my help whether you like it or not, tough guy. What are ya gonna do, huh? Good luck findin’ a job without a Social Security card, bro. And what would you even put on your job application? ‘Bodyguard’, ‘genetic sex twin’ and ‘secret assassin’?”

Heero rolled his eyes and didn’t dignify Duo’s comment with a reply.

“Exactly. You’re gonna need someone to help get you on your feet,” Duo added with a grin. “Trust me, I have a hard enough time feedin’ my damn self, the last thing I need is two squatters in my house. You’re gonna have to contribute somehow. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out though.”

Heero shook his head and looked from Duo to Trowa, who was staring down at his hands, obviously lost in thought. It was clear that his partner was worried and uncertain about their future and the decision they were faced with. Quatre seemed to notice Trowa’s apprehension too. The blonde padded closer and reached out to take one of Trowa’s hands, tugging him to his feet.

“May I speak to you in private?” Quatre asked. He glanced at Heero, eyebrow raised. Heero simply nodded. It was clear that the two needed to discuss things alone.

Trowa felt like his world had been turned upside down. The decision to leave weighed heavily on his heart and his head was spinning with uncertainty. Leave the Grid? Leave Quatre?

With a stiff nod Trowa followed Quatre into his master’s private quarters.

Once Trowa was in his bedroom Quatre closed the door behind him, shutting out the sound of Duo and Heero bickering about living accommodations, and gently took his loyal servant’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze.

“I know this is a lot to take in…” He led him to his bed and gestured for him to sit on the foot of it. “And I would suggest that you think on it, but unfortunately we don’t have a lot of time. The Gate is set to open tomorrow morning.” Slender, pale fingers brushed Trowa’s long bangs from his eyes, tucking them behind his ear in a familiar gesture. “You and I both know what your decision must be.”

Trowa looked up at Quatre, unable to hide the sadness in his eyes. The thought of leaving the ISO behind was almost unthinkable. Quatre was the one who’d always been obsessed with Users, dreaming about what it would be like to live amongst them. Trowa, on the other hand, never had a desire to leave the Grid. And now he would be leaving  _ without _ his master? It didn’t seem fair.

“What about you? What will you do?”  _ Without me. _

Quatre couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’ll continue on as I always have,” he explained with a small smile. “Only maybe I won’t be as warm in the middle of the night.” He was trying to lighten the mood. Trowa’s almost pained expression was difficult for him to see. He had to put on his strongest face for him. He didn’t want him to worry. “I have to stay. Programs here need me, but I’ll be happy knowing that you’re far away from here and safe.”

“I will never see you again.” Trowa murmured, the reality of the situation hitting him like a punch to the gut. He flinched and looked down at his trembling hands. “I owe my existence to you. Everything… You’ve done everything for me.” The idea of leaving Quatre alone in this cold, dark world felt so wrong.

Quatre didn’t know what else to say. He didn’t want Trowa to leave, a selfish part of him wanted him to stay with him forever, but he knew that it would be a painful existence for him either way. If he stayed he would be a shell of the person he was now, wiped again, even their relationship gone. They would have to start anew. If he left he would be gone forever. Trowa was right, once he passed through the Gate he would never see him again.

So which decision was the best for Trowa? The answer was clear to Quatre.

“You will always be very special to me,” Quatre explained. “You have been an excellent guard, a loyal servant and my best friend. I have relied on you for so much, it will be difficult to see you leave.” He slid both hands on Trowa’s shoulders and gently squeezed them, trying to reassure his forlorn friend. “But I know this is the best thing for you. Go, have your adventures in the User world. Maybe one day you can come back and tell me about it.”

Trowa reached out and grabbed Quatre’s smaller frame, pulling him in between his legs so he could wrap his arms around him in a tight embrace. He rest his cheek against the other’s chest and closed his eyes, knowing his master was right. He had to leave, there was no life for him here anymore.

“I will come back. I promise I will see you again.” Trowa didn’t know how, but he would find a way, somehow.

Quatre nodded and bit his lip, glad that Trowa’s face was buried against his chest so he couldn’t see the tears that had welled in his eyes. “I know you will. It’s going to be exciting,” his voice tightened, fingers gathering in Trowa’s hair, sliding through his silky locks, memorizing every detail, “and I can’t wait for you to return to me, Trowa.” It was a hopeful statement, one he knew wouldn’t come true. 

When Trowa pulled his face back there were tears streaming down his cheeks. He looked up and saw that Quatre’s expression matched his own and let out a startled gasp, reaching up to brush the blue droplets from his master’s eyes. His arm tightened around Quatre’s waist, pulling him closer. “Please don’t cry.”  

Seeing Trowa’s tears made Quatre involuntarily sob. He wrapped his arms around his friend and buried his face against his shoulder, trying to hide his sudden weakness. He had told himself he would be strong for Trowa. He hadn’t wanted this moment to be so difficult, and he didn’t want his friend to feel sorry for him.   
  
“I’m sorry. I thought this would be easier,” Quatre said with a shaken voice, his fingers grasping Trowa’s light suit-clad arms. It wasn’t fair. Trowa had been the only true friend he had ever had, and now he was losing him. Once he was gone he’d have nothing. He was scared for him, too. The User world would be a dangerous place with many unknowns.

“I never imagined this day would even come.” Trowa admitted, slowly leaning back onto the bed, pulling Quatre with him. He needed to hold the other right now and be close to him. It was the last chance he had. His fingers gripped at the ISO’s body desperately, afraid to let go.

Quatre settled on the bed beside Trowa, familiar with his body so close to his own. He casually stroked his hair with one hand, urging him to bury his face against his chest, wiping his own glowing tears away with the other. The truth was he hadn’t expected Trowa to ever leave, either. He supposed he had been selfish to think that Trowa would be devoted to him and his to have forever.

“Me neither,” Quatre admitted softly, tangingling his fingertips in his servant’s hair, closing his tired eyes. It had been a long last few days, and their ordeal still wasn’t over. Tomorrow he was going to have to ferry Trowa, Heero and Duo safely to the Gate, open it and watch helplessly as they left.

Quatre wouldn’t let himself cry then. He knew he was going to have to be strong and encouraging for the others, but for now he was with his trusted friend, in his room, the only place he could really be himself.

“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Trowa murmured against Quatre’s chest. He rubbed the ISOs back soothingly while they lay there, forgetting about the other program and the User in the front room.

Conflicted, Quatre didn’t know what to say in response. Of course he wanted to spend every extra moment he could with Trowa before he left, but on the other hand he knew it was selfish to ask him to neglect Heero for himself.

Quatre had never done a single selfish thing in his life but here, faced with the fact that Trowa would be gone the following morning, and yearning for companionship for as long as he could keep it, he simply nodded in response. He couldn’t voice his answer, afraid that his voice would betray the thin veil of composure he was attempting to keep fastened over the hurt he felt inside.

“I will stay.” Trowa gently pulled his body away from Quatre’s so he could sit up. “I should tell the others.” He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the ISO’s forehead before slipping from the bed and out into the main area of the villa.

As soon as Trowa slipped out of Quatre’s room Heero immediately stood from his spot beside Duo. The User had been filling him in on what life was like off the Grid. The thought of a giant mass of hydrogen burning out of control only 92 million miles away, spewing radiation on the inhabitants below, really had set him on edge. He could tell something was wrong by the way Trowa held his shoulders, the look on his face. He said nothing as his partner approached, and when he was within arm’s reach he pressed his fingers to Trowa’s arm and raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. 

“I should stay with Quatre tonight.” Trowa couldn’t meet Heero’s gaze, instead looking off in the distance as he spoke. “I don’t want him to be alone.”

Heero frowned as he studied Trowa’s face, trying to decide what this meant. He had only just recently reunited with Trowa, was he trying to push him away? “Why?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer. 

_ What about leaving ME alone? _ Heero thought bitterly, his hands tightening into fists at his sides.

“I’ve spent most of my existence at his side. We are leaving tomorrow and I will never see him again… He is sad. I should be with him tonight.” Trowa murmured, finally looking at his lover apologetically. He was torn. He wanted to spend the night with Heero, craving his closeness. But he also wanted to comfort Quatre, whom he was devastated about having to leave behind.

“I see.” Heero could understand Trowa’s confession, it was obvious that he was conflicted and trying to be a good friend, but a part of him couldn’t shake the idea that he had been cast off. Again. For someone who he could never hope to stack up to. Feeling unusually self-conscious, he looked down at his booted feet and gritted his teeth, avoiding Trowa’s gaze.

_ Am I being selfish? I owe Quatre so much, he healed me, he’s saving Trowa and I. For thirty years he watched my partner, took care of him when everyone else wanted to trash him for what he was.  _  Heero tried to tick off all the reasons why Quatre was a good person, and why it made sense that Trowa wanted to comfort him, but he couldn’t help feeling jealous. He had been alone so long himself, and now that he finally had his partner back he had to wait longer for him.

One day. It was just one more night, right?

“Do what you think is best,” Heero finally murmured. 

Trowa leaned in and pressed his face against Heero’s cheek, closing his eyes with a sigh. “I’m sorry… I owe him this.” He could tell his lover was upset and he didn’t blame him. It was a hard choice to make. “I get to spend every night of the rest of our lives with you after this…” That was if they made it out of the Grid intact.

Heero nodded, his hand unballing, tension running from his fingers. He caressed Trowa’s cheek slowly, his index finger tracing the sloping line of his jaw until he found his lower lip, where he casually felt the petal soft skin there, as if examining it for flaws. He found none. His eyes locked onto Trowa’s face, despite their close proximity.   
  
“I love you,” he said firmly, his eyes narrowing. “Do as you must, but remember that you’re mine.” Somehow staking his claim made him feel better about letting his lover share a bed with someone else. “You promised me once before.”

“That is why I am leaving with you tomorrow.” Frowning, Trowa pressed his lips to the corner of Heero’s mouth. He reached down to take the other’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “Our lives start over tomorrow.”

_ If we even survive at all,  _ Heero thought with a sigh. He pulled his hand from Trowa’s and nodded. Nearby one of Quatre’s white-clad ISO servants was waiting patiently by the door. In the middle of their conversation Duo had been carted off to ‘rest’ for the night. Heero decided to leave the situation before he said anything he’d regret, broke away from Trowa and approached the servant, resisting the urge to look back at his lover, each step away from him forced and heavy.

Trowa watched him go, waiting until he was the only one standing in the room before turning on his heels and retiring to Quatre’s room for the night, his mind racing and his head bent.


	21. Chapter 21

Heero didn’t get much sleep. Between the User’s raspy, grumbling noises while he hibernated and his inability to shake the thought of his partner entwined (or worse) in the next room, he had simply lie on his back and stared at the ceiling, passing the time by traveling through his own memories.

One recollection in particular stood out to him and replayed over and over in his mind.

A few years after he and Trowa had been activated Heero had been injured during a training exercise, and due to the nature of the injury he had been sent to the Arjian infirmary to recover. While their bodies were resilient to most superficial damage, any burns or lacerations caused by intense heat or electricity would sometimes require specialized programmers to rebuild the code that they had lost. It was a technique that came easily to ISOs like Quatre, who could use their inner power to repair.

Unfortunately at the time Quatre had only been a student of healing, which left Heero cooped up for a night in the programmer infirmary while they ran repair software on his arm, which had become caught in a frayed conduit during a sparring match with one of their fellow Aether guards.

It had been the first time that he had been apart from Trowa. Up until then he hadn’t slept alone. That night in the infirmary he had felt unsettled. He found himself looking around, waiting for Trowa to enter the small communal room he had shared with other injured programs, but he never came. Heero had felt distraught, uneasy, almost anxious. The healing programs had offered to help force him into a power-down to get some rest. He had reluctantly taken it, and eventually drifted into hibernation.

When he woke a few hours later Trowa had been in the bed with him. His binary partner had snuck into the infirmary after hours, crept into his bed and held him. It was only then that Heero could easily sleep, his rhythm able to sync into a comfortable pattern with his partner’s.

Heero had spent the entire night trying to block Duo’s snores out, glancing at the door, waiting for Trowa to come, reminiscing upon that memory over and over again, as if by making it replay in his mind it would make his partner appear.

But it hadn’t. Morning soon came, and Heero found himself alone in the bed, having waited all night for nothing.

So when he entered the common room with Duo and saw Quatre looking fresh-faced, glowing with energy, his beautiful visage dewy and radiant he couldn’t help but feel bitter. When Trowa finally appeared he couldn’t even look at him.

“Man, I slept like the dead,” Duo chirped happily as he padded around the common room, stretching his arms over his head happily, his long braid swinging against his back. “What’s for grub?”

“Grub?” Quatre asked, raising an eyebrow at him, confused.

“Yeah, ya know. Noms? Food? Sustenance?”

With a smile Quatre gestured to a table in the far corner of the room where his servants had laid out various replenishing, glistening items including energy-generated fruits in unusual, polyhedron shapes as well as a pitcher filled with glistening, milky liquid that appeared to have a storm cloud churning around within, arcs of electricity bouncing around within the glass container. “Help yourself.”

Duo was at the table within seconds. “Don’t mind if I do.” He wasted no time filling a plate.

While Duo gravitated towards the food, Trowa found himself being pulled in Heero’s direction. He had stayed up most of the night, Quatre tucked peacefully against his side, staring at the ceiling while his mind wandered to thoughts of Heero. He felt extremely guilty, lying there in another programs bed while his lover slept just a few rooms down the hall. The later it got into the night the more Trowa realized he had made the wrong decision. 

“Morning…” Trowa approached Heero cautiously, able to tell the other was still upset at him.

“Hey.” Heero felt awkward. It was strange, feeling awkward with someone who was supposed to be your other half. It wasn’t how he remembered things being. Duo had stacked a plat and was taking a seat on one of the couches so he could sample his loot. Quatre had watched Trowa and Heero for a moment from afar before vanishing to go ‘get ready’ in another room.

“Sleep well?” Heero asked politely, his eyes fixed on Duo, who was tonguing one of the fruits experimentally. 

“No,” Trowa answered honestly. “Did you?” Heero refused to make eye contact with him. Trowa continued to seek the other’s gaze out, patiently waiting for his partner to turn his blue eyes in his direction.

Heero hadn’t expected that response. Thinking Trowa was just filling their time with shallow pleasantries, he hadn’t anticipated a negative reply. Without looking up, wetting his lower lip with his tongue he shook his head. 

“I can’t sleep without you.” Had Heero been able to remember his most recent past, he would have recalled that while he was alone with D-FILE he rarely slept aside from the occasional passing out his glitching and lack of reset had caused. 

“You won’t have to sleep without me ever again.” Trowa gave up on trying to coax Heero’s eyes to lock with his own. He grasped his hands behind his back and rolled his shoulders back, looking over at Duo to distract himself from the awkwardness with his lover. “I’m sorry.”

The problem with loving someone unconditionally and being so hopelessly fallen for them was that it was impossible to stay upset. Heero was frustrated, and had felt jealous of the fact Trowa had sought to soothe Quatre over himself, but he could never keep those emotions fueled for very long. Not with Trowa having only had good intentions.

Hearing his partner say that he was sorry for being a kind, gentle, considerate person rubbed him wrong. Heero finally looked up. “Don’t be sorry for it.”

Duo was finishing off his last swig of electric sheep milk, or whatever it was. “You guys gotta try these little grape things. When you bite into em they make your teeth and gums go numb…”

Trowa reached over and slid his pointer finger into Heero’s hand, hooking it around his lover’s pinky. “Do you want to try one of those ‘grape things’ with me?”

After staying up all night, Heero was going to need a handful of ‘grape things’ for replenishment. “Sure,” he replied with a smirk, holding Trowa’s pointer finger captive tightly with his pinky finger.

Getting to the Gate would be complicated. That morning it had been discovered that Trowa had escaped and the underground city was on high alert with guards and extra security drones buzzing up and down the streets scanning people’s codes. Quatre’s villa was close enough to the Temple of Radia but it would still require the group to walk a considerable distance out in the open to get there.

The plan was for Trowa, Heero and the User Duo to dress as acolytes for the walk to the temple. Three of Quatre’s most trusted guards would escort them, all three aware that they were harboring fugitives. Not every acolyte would know that there were wanted programs in their midst, so it was would be imperative that they stay calm, in disguise and appropriately hidden. Once they made it into the temple they would be able to pass down to the Gate without incident.

Quatre tugged at Duo’s hood and pulled it further down his face, obscuring his eyes.

“How am I supposed to see where I’m goin’?” The User grumbled, hanging his head awkwardly, staring down at Quatre’s leathery, white boots.

“You’re not supposed to. Just follow the heels of the person in front of you,” Quatre explained casually, straightening the front of Duo’s borrowed long, traditional Radian robes.

“That’s how you walk around in these?” Duo asked, stunned. “What’s the point?”

Quatre sighed, released the robes and propped his hands on his hips, assessing him. Even in matching acolyte robes the User’s personality stuck out like a sore thumb. He was going to have to make Duo walk in the center of the entourage to keep him appropriately hidden.

“The point is to keep your focus on your destination and not distract others, or be distracted by the presence of others while you’re in a state of deep meditation and self-reflection,” Quatre explained casually. He turned to Trowa, who had been helping Heero tie the front of his robe closed, and began straightening the fabric on his shoulders.

Duo rolled his eyes. What if you’re tryin’ to cross the street or something, and you can’t look up to check to see if a bus is comin’? You just gotta use your faith to get across safely?”

“Exactly,” Quatre quipped with a smile.

“Pssh… that’s dumb.” The User tugged at his hood irritably.

“This is risky, Quatre,” Trowa murmured as he finished helping Heero straighten his hood. “Can’t we find another way? Perhaps through the underground tunnels again?”  _ So we don’t risk getting you in trouble, too, _ he thought with a frown.

Quatre shook his head. “No. They’re monitoring the tunnels, the alert is high. Our best bet is to make an attempt out in the open, it would be the last place they’d expect. They have put out an alert for Heero as well, they’ll be searching every corner of the city. Let’s hope that they don’t think to look at the Gate, but assume that you both have just run away to the Outlands…”

“Then why do I gotta be in disguise? They’re not looking for me!” Duo asked, his hands on the bottoms of his robe, twirling it around himself.

“To draw less attention to us. It’s easier if we look uniform. Every morning I make this walk with my devotees and guards. Hopefully they won’t suspect anything’s amiss…”

Trowa grabbed Quatre’s hand before he could hurry off to prepare the rest of his followers for their morning trek. The blonde ISO stopped short and looked up at him worriedly.

“Thank you for all of this,” Trowa said softly, cradling the blonde’s pale fingers in his own. “You risk too much for us.”

Nearby Heero was retying the knot Trowa had made in the cloak at his throat. He glanced up at them before quickly dropping his gaze, his face hidden beneath his hood, saying nothing.

“No. You all have done so much for me, this is the least I can do,” Quatre replied with a sigh. “This is what Radia would have wanted. For me to help. She wanted unconditional support of others, not persecution.”

Trowa knew that it was more than just duty that drove Quatre to help them, but at the blonde’s explanation he simply nodded and released his hand, resisting the urge to kiss the back of it as he often did. It was strange having Heero watching him, it made him realize how intimate and close he actually was to their ISO leader. In the 30 years Heero had been missing Trowa had developed amorous habits he’d never given second thought to before.

“Alright,” Quatre gestured to the nearby doorway. “Gather over here. When the others arrive just stay quiet, they won’t question you. File in, single-file, two rows. The guards will flank us. It should be an easy journey, please try not to worry.”

Duo shuffled over in his robes to stand by the door, making strange groaning noises from beneath his hood. 

“What are you doing?” Heero asked him, cutting his eyes at him as he stood beside him. Duo grinned and peeked at him from beneath his hood.

“Gregorian chants,” Duo replied, chuckling. He dropped his head again, his voice low and mysterious. “ Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth…”

“... you are so strange.” Heero folded his hands together in front of him, tucking each one inside the opposite sleeve and sighed. He could hear Trowa take the spot behind him.

“You’re a little tall for this line of work,” Quatre teased as Trowa towered above the other two, his robes barely covering his feet. “Maybe you should try to slouch some.”

Trowa nodded and rolled his shoulders forward, attempting not to look as proud and statuesque as he normally came off. It didn’t really work.

The sound of footsteps approaching from one of the corridors outside the door caused Quatre to rush to the front of their little procession. “Alright. Just stay quiet, and follow my lead,” he instructed confidently, gesturing for them to follow.

They walked as solemnly as possible out to greet the rest of the acolytes who would be marching with them to the temple. Along with the User and the two fugitives the entire body count was 12. The worshippers formed two lines of 6 behind Quatre. Duo ended up in the first row, second position. Heero and Trowa had been shuffled to the back, side by side, second from last in each row. Quatre’s guards took up the back, one drifting along the flank of the procession as they began their ritualistic morning walk through the gardens in the direction of the Temple of Radia. 

The underground city was abuzz with activity. Many of the passing programs on their way to their jobs or to perform their daily tasks whispered and gossiped to one another about the dangers of the day, and how at any moment the rumored rectified program could jump out from anywhere to derez them, not knowing that the vicious program in question was passively sidling past them in disguise.

Heero frowned as he heard them speak so ill of him. They had no idea what the truth was, that he had been a victim, and that he wasn’t just some homicidal weapon out to wreak destruction on anything that crossed his path. At least… not anymore.

How had he become a monster? It was a difficult thing to accept, one a notion he hadn’t taken the time to consider until now. Before his capture and rectification he had been a noble member of the Aether guard, favored by the ISO Elios. Sure, he had haters. The fact that he was bound to another program through his status as a binary program had been source of discrimination in many situations, but overall he had been a productive member of society and highly respected.

Then he had woken up the absolute opposite of that. A weapon. A creature that needed to be disposed of. Something to be feared. A burden to others. He had no purpose.

_ How could Trowa ever love me now that he knows that I’m capable of causing so much harm?  _ Heero thought as he shuffled along behind the Radian worshipper, head down, staring at the backs of the boots in front of him. Flashbacks of his hand swinging down, slicing Trowa’s body to pieces, filled his mind. He bit his lower lip and tried not to dwell on it.  _ That wasn’t me…  _  he tried to tell himself.  _ I wasn’t in control. I had lost control… it wasn’t my fault.  _

But was that why Trowa didn’t want to be with him last night? Did he have residual fears about Heero and what he had become? Could Heero blame his lover for being hesitant to be alone with him?

Trowa had told him it was because he didn’t want Quatre to be alone. Heero wanted to believe it, but he couldn’t help but feel that there was something more to it. Hearing strangers passing on the street talking about how wicked and evil he presumably was, he couldn’t help but think they were right.

_ I shouldn’t have let them take me,  _ Heero thought bitterly.  _ I should have self-deleted before D-FILE could use me. None of this would have ever happened.  _ Trowa wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Duo would be back in his User world by now, and his partner wouldn’t have to pick between him and his ISO master. Quatre wouldn’t be alone. Everything would be better had Heero not suddenly reappeared after so long, wouldn’t it?

Despite being in disguise he lifted a hand to rub the side of his head through the fabric, his thoughts becoming sluggish. He was tired, not just from lack of hibernation but from not being able to reset. Unlike the other programs who could clean out their systems and stay fresh from ‘sleeping’ overnight, he required some form of extended sync with his binary partner. Being alone had left him spooling with information that should have been deleted and wiped clean from his mind, but now stray thoughts were nagging him, distracting him. 

Heero was so distracted that he didn’t realize that the procession had stopped a little over halfway to the temple. He bumped into the back of the acolyte in front of him, who luckily hadn’t fallen at the sudden jolt from behind. Ahead he could hear voices, one distinctly Quatre’s.

“-all forms of identification, the city is on red alert, fugitives could be anywhere. You really should have used a more secure way of transit, underground.”

It was a security program. Heero peered out from under his hood and saw a large, black-clad security program questioning Quatre at the front of their line. A round, humming security drone was circling the program’s head.

“We will not allow the fear of others to influence how we conduct our daily worship,” Quatre replied plainly, his expression stoic.

“Huh, right. Well, if you don’t mind, we need to check your identifiers before you can continue. It’s dangerous, and-”

“I have my own guard. My own form of protection,” Quatre pointed out sternly, gesturing to the three guards standing around the procession.

“That may well be, but we have to take every precaution-”

“Our worship requires us to be one and in tune with the vibrations of the Grid, by impeding us you are putting us off schedule and keeping us from the full practice of our worship.” Quatre wasn’t letting up. Heero felt a cool hand grab his own. He looked over to see Trowa, hood still down, tugging his hand. No words were required, his partner wanted him to follow.

While the security program was arguing with Quatre two robed figures slinked off into a nearby alleyway. The worshippers in line simply shuffled forward, filling their empty spots in line.

Dressed in glimmering white robes, it was difficult for Heero and Trowa to blend in. Radian worshippers were common but always drew attention from the public anywhere they went. If they were going to get through the city and to the temple without detection they were going to have to ditch the robes. The acolytes may have been able to pass through the city with immunity in the past, but now they were up for inspection just like any other program.

Heero let Trowa pull him down into an alleyway so they could tuck into the shadows. Both shed their robes and discarded them into a dark corner, their black light suits blending better with the dimly lit backside of the towering, carved city buildings.

Once back in their normal attire Heero slid his back against the wall and peered around the corner. Quatre was gone, his entourage shrinking into the distance as they continued down the sidewalk in the direction of the temple. The security program who had stopped them was lingering nearby, accosting another set of passing programs. His drone was nowhere to be seen.

“We’ll have to find another way through,” he murmured to his companion, his eyes still fixed on the security program. Suddenly a loud whirring noise filled the air overhead. Before Heero could react Trowa had grabbed him by the arm and yanked him into the shadows, pinning him to the wall with his body. Heero bit his lip and tried not to move. He could see Trowa’s light lines slowly fading, turning from their brilliant cyan blue to a dull, matte black.

The security program’s drone buzzed past, scanning the alleyway with a grid of red laser beam. Heero could see it drifting by just past Trowa’s shoulder. His partner, larger than himself, had occluded his body with his own so that they would avoid detection. Heero held as still as he could, knowing that the drones often used motion detection sensors to identify their targets.   
  
Trowa’s face was beside his, expression flat. His long, silken hair tickled the side of his face as a faint breeze from the drone’s propulsion system blasted them as it passed by. Finally the sound faded away as the drone rounded the corner to survey another alleyway.

“I forgot that you could do that,” Heero said softly, his fingertips tracing the slowly illuminating light lines of Trowa’s chest as they became their vibrant, glowing blue again. Even though they were a pair their abilities varied. They had been programmed to compliment one another. Trowa’s advantages centered around stealth, blending in and avoiding detection while Heero’s were more focused on power, attack and speed. Trowa had used his temporary camouflage abilities plenty of times in the past, mostly to keep them from being caught messing around in places they shouldn’t have been.

“Nothing’s changed about me,” Trowa said with amusement, his forearms pressed against the wall on either side of Heero’s head, making no move to leave. Heero tilted his head and eyed him closely.   
  
“I’m not so sure about that,” Heero finally replied. For Trowa time had been progressive, minutes and days ticking by in slow succession. For Heero, he had woken up to a world 30 years aged, and he could see the contrasts in everything from then and now. Things had changed, and so hard Trowa.

“You’re upset about last night.” Trowa’s green eyes searched Heero’s blue ones. He had picked up on Heero’s jealousy all morning, and it had made him feel sick with guilt. Trowa knew he needed to make things right before they passed through the Gate. He wanted Heero to know he was choosing him and not Quatre, that he was confident in his decision and that he wanted to be with him. “Do you think that I don’t love you anymore?”   

This was not a topic Heero anticipated having as a pair of fugitives, hiding in a dark alleyway from a detection drone. Had he been that obvious? He supposed that he had been aloof, his thoughts preoccupied. It only stood to reason Trowa would notice.

“I think I’m not the person you thought you wanted,” Heero replied honestly, his insecurities about the changes in himself coming to the surface. “That I’ll hurt you again. I don’t know how you could love anyone who almost destroyed you.”

Trowa’s expression softened and he shook his head. “I’m not afraid of you,” he should have known better than to stay with Quatre last night. He had been so preoccupied with the ISOs feelings that he hadn’t stopped to think about his lover and how he might be feeling about all of this. He licked his bottom lip and glanced down at the light lines on Heero’s chest before continuing. “While we were separated all those years… after my memory was wiped, I always felt like there was a hole inside of me that I couldn’t fill. Something was missing and I couldn’t figure out what it was. Every day I thought about what it could be, I  _ obsessed _ over what was making me feel incomplete. No matter where I looked, who I met, or how many times Quatre tried filling that void, it was never completely filled until I ran into you last week in Tron City. You are a part of me, Heero. You will always be. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I am sorry if I’ve made you feel differently.”  

“You should be afraid,” Heero said slowly, his voice chilled. “They thought they had repaired me once before. What if it happens again?” It was an anxiety that had been living just beneath the surface, nagging at him. “I’m not the same program I once was.” He pressed a hand into Trowa’s side, frowning. “You’re not the reason I feel different. I  _ am _ different.”    
  
Heero avoided Trowa’s gaze, staring at the curve of his neck. “I don’t feel good enough. Not anymore.” Not compared to the ISO, or the person he had been in his memories, either.

Trowa removed his forearm from the hard marble of the building they were leaning against. He brought his hand to Heero’s chin and tilt it up so he could look into his eyes once more. “Don't say that.” His eyes narrowed as he spoke.

How could Trowa be so confident? How could he not question everything that was about to happen. “You have a good life here. Quatre clearly cares about you, you have status and a good reputation. You have a purpose. You’re safe. How could you want to throw that all away to leap into a void with me, a flawed program who glitches, who could turn on you at any moment? I can’t help but feel like this is a foolish decision, and a selfish one for me to want for you.” Heero stared into his face, his expression pained. “I know you felt empty without me, but I’ve brought you nothing but pain since I’ve returned. Look at where you are now, hiding here with me, being hunted. All because I came back.”  _ I shouldn’t have come back… _

“How could you value yourself so lowly? To hate yourself is to hate me.” Trowa said, his voice barely above a whisper. “When we were created it wasn’t a pairing made with terms. I am yours unconditionally, as you are mine.” He carefully kissed the corner of Heero’s frowning mouth. “No matter what happens to you, what you become, you’re part of me and we’re meant to be together. I’m not staying here without you, and you can’t leave without me.”

Trowa’s words hurt to hear, mostly because Heero knew them to be true, and he felt ashamed for questioning his partner’s motives and feelings. He was right, their deep connection didn’t come with conditions attached. Heero tried to think about what he would do if it had been Trowa that D-FILE had rectified. He wouldn’t have given up on him, either. He would do anything and would follow him anywhere.

Anywhere.

“We don’t even know what lies on the other side of that Gate,” Heero murmured, his expression softening. “Or if we’ll survive being translated into Users.”

Trowa nodded. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take for a new start. A peaceful life. Quatre is right, we can’t stay here. I don’t want to run or live in fear. I’ve finally got you back, I want to make up for the time we’ve missed and not spend every moment worrying that you’ll be taken away from me again.” He slid his thumb across Heero’s lower lip. “I can’t live like that again, being alone.”

Heero shook his head. “You weren’t alone. You had Quatre.”

“I told you before, it wasn’t the same.” Trowa narrowed his eyes. “It could never be the same. Quatre was kind to me, and he cares about me as much as I care about him, but the reality is that those feelings don’t carry the same weight as the ones I have for you.”

“So why do you struggle with the thought of leaving him if he isn’t important to you?” Heero studied his partner’s face, waiting for an answer.

“He’s important. He’s a good friend-”

“You’re more than friends,” Heero interrupted him. “Friends don’t reset each other.”

Trowa became silent, obviously taken aback by Heero’s blunt statement. “You were gone for thirty years.”

“Not by my choice.”

Trowa frowned. “Without Quatre I would have overloaded. I would have been ….”

“Glitchy?” Heero sighed. “Right.”   
  
“What would you have had me do?” Trowa was feeling frustrated. He couldn’t seem to win, Heero was holding his animosity close, refusing to be placated. “Overload? Quatre was helping me.”

“Of course he was,” Heero murmured bitterly.

“Why are you doing this?” Trowa sighed, his irritation obvious. “What could I possibly do to show you that I love you? That you  _ mean _ more to me? I’m giving up everything. I am giving up Quatre, my life, everything, because I want to be with you.”

Heero stared at him, unable to shake his anger. “Only because you’re obligated to,” he finally replied. “I don’t want you to come with me because you don’t have a choice. I want you to come with me because you love me, and because you don’t care about anyone else. I want that back. I want everything, your attention, your  _ full _ attention. That is the Trowa I remember.  _ My _ Ancile. Not Quatre’s.”

“I care about-”

“You care about me enough to abandon me for someone else’s bed,” Heero snapped. He flinched at his own words. He hadn’t meant to say them. Trowa’s face openly expressed his shock. He was stunned.

“I was just trying to say goodbye,” Trowa finally replied, his expression hardening. “I told you I was sorry if it hurt you, I didn’t mean for it to.”

Heero felt selfish. Foolish. However, his words had already been spoken. He couldn’t take them back. Feeling the floodgates opening, his emotions began to spill forth, forming unfiltered words.

“Thirty years. He had you for thirty years, Trowa.” Heero felt his shoulders tighten, the muscles in his body coiling tightly with his irritation. “Last night could have been our last, and you gave it to Quatre instead.”

Trowa’s eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

“... we have no idea what is about to happen to us. The Gate. We could be destroyed getting to it, or passing through it. Even Quatre can’t tell us what happens to programs on the other side.” Heero’s hands fisted, his mouth tightening into a thin line. “I understand that you’re grateful to him to taking care of you and … relieving you … but I can’t help but feel robbed of what was rightfully mine.”

Trowa hadn’t thought of it that way. He had thought that Heero was jealous because he had felt shunned, he hadn’t considered the fact that last night could have been their last night together. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. You’re right, I shouldn’t have… but it’s done. I can’t take it back.”   
  
“You’re right. You can’t.” Heero knew he was being emotional, but at this point he couldn’t help himself. “It hurts to think that I am good enough to die alongside, but not the person you thought to sleep with.”

“I made a mistake. How long are you going to hold this against me?” Trowa asked, his voice tightening. “I owe Quatre so much. You may judge me all you like, but you were gone for thirty years. I experienced those years. Where were you in that time? You don’t remember them. You didn’t suffer-”

“I didn’t suffer?” Heero’s voice dropped a few degrees, chilling. “I was rectified, Trowa.”   
  
“I know that, but-”

“I had my very being ripped out of me, code by code. I spent months unable to reboot. I didn’t have  _ anyone  _ to reset me. I didn’t know my name. I didn’t have a purpose. I was alone. There was  _ nobody _ in my bed.” Heero gritted his teeth, his eyes stinging as the pain of his rectification came over him like a phantasm memory, replaying in his mind as if he had only endured it an hour before.   
  
Trowa visibly flinched. A dull ache began to grow in his chest, his fingers and toes tingling. Heero was in pain, and he was feeling the echoes of it.

“I don’t know what you want me to do, Heero,” Trowa whispered, at a loss. “What else can I possibly do. I’m sorry for taking your night away from you. It was selfish of me, and I’m sorry. I could never understand what you went through.”

“I would never want you to experience that,” Heero replied his voice tight. His eyes were blurred, his shoulders tense. “I-I just don’t want to be this way anymore.”

Trowa immediately detected the slight glitch in his lover’s voice, as well as the twitch in his face as he spoke. “When did you last reset?”  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes harshly at him. “The last time  _ you _ reset me. I don’t have anyone else.”   
  
Guilt flooded Trowa’s thoughts again. He had forgotten. How could he have? He and Heero were reliant on each other to reset, and by sleeping with Quatre he had received a soft reset while his partner experienced no overnight relief. He had been so preoccupied with Quatre he hadn’t considered Heero’s needs.

“Heero. I’m sorry.” Hadn’t he said that enough already? His words seemed shallow, and Heero didn’t appear to take them seriously. His partner’s expression was still hard, unmoved. “Let me. Let me help you?”   
  
Heero’s body stiffened. When Trowa’s hand glided down the front of his chest he snatched it to keep it from traveling and further. “No. I don’t want your pity.”

“It’s not pity.” Trowa tried to pull his hand away but Heero’s grip tightened around his wrist, refusing to release. “I want to.”

“No.” Heero frowned and shook his head. “I don’t want this. Not now. It’s not necessary.”

Trowa sighed, frustrated and dejected. His arm went limp in Heero’s hand. “What about what I want?”   
  
Heero raised an eyebrow at him, frowning. “What do you want?”   
  
“I want things to go back to normal. I know you’ve been hurt, and some of that hurt came from me, especially last night. I can only say that I am sorry so many times. You obviously don’t believe me. I don’t know another way to apologize, or to make it up to you. Now, you won’t even let me touch you.” Trowa’s eyes shifted down to Heero’s hand, studying his fingers as they encircled his own narrow wrist. “How am I supposed to fix this? How am I supposed to show you that I’m sorry, and that I love you more than anything else, even myself? Your pain is my pain, Heero. Seeing you hurting hurts me. Your words hurt me.” He paused for a long moment, shaking his head. “I want this to end- this animosity. You’re right. If we’re going to be destroyed during the jump I don’t want this to be lingering between us. I want to fix it.” His eyes lifted to catch Heero’s gaze, holding his blue eyes with his own.   
  
“Let me fix it. Let me show you how I feel. I took last night from you, let me have these few stolen moments before we give ourselves up to our fate.”

Heero’s eyes widened and his fingers gradually loosened around Trowa’s wrist. He wasn’t sure what to say. Trowa was right, he wasn’t giving him any options, but he didn’t know what he  _ wanted _ . Apologies weren’t enough and there was no way to go back in time and fix the slight against him.  
  
A long, silent moment passed between them. Finally Heero released Trowa’s hand, straightened against the wall and looked up at him, his expression almost challenging. “Alright,” he said faintly. “Show me. Fix it.”

Trowa stared at him, feelings mixed and confused. He loved Heero, but his partner’s words had been hurtful. His open challenge was almost bordering offensive, especially since he had just spilled his heart out to him and had apologized so profusely. He felt like he was being judged.

“Fine.” Trowa glanced down the alleyway, surveying their surroundings. The dark corner they had taken temporary shelter in was the most secure place he could see. He didn’t know when or if the survey drone would return, so he would have to make it quick. His frustration still festering on the surface, fueled by the way Heero was watching him, eyes narrowed expectantly, he decided he wasn’t going to hold back. If Heero could take out his frustrations on him, then he could return the favor.

Heero’s frowning mouth was being assaulted by Trowa’s before the shorter program could blink. Trowa knew he had caught him off guard, he could tell by the way his partner stumbled backward and automatically pressed his hands to his chest as if he were about to push him away. Even if Heero  _ had _ tried to push him off he wouldn’t have let him. Trowa had received an open invitation - a challenge - and he wasn’t willing to back off or ease up.

His hands grabbed Heero’s hips, pulling him against himself, grinding the fronts of their clingy light suits together, building an uncomfortable friction. Despite Heero’s attempt to be aloof in the matter he could feel his crotch thicken and harden against his own. Heero’s excitement only fueled Trowa. Even though his partner was trying to put on a cool front he could tell he wanted this.

One of Trowa’s hands reached around to slip between the wall and Heero’s body, grabbing his ass through his suit, guiding his hips, forcing his pelvis to rock against his own. Heero gasped as his finger slid down in between his legs, pressing firmly into the taut fabric of his suit, outlining the path his body was about to inevitably take. Enjoying his sudden, faint noises, Trowa pressed his finger into his suit again, teasing the tight cleft between his firm ass cheeks with his finger. When Heero groaned he swallowed his voice, forced his lips apart with his tongue and lapped against his clenched teeth, demanding he open his mouth for him.

Heero was either stunned or resistant, he wouldn’t comply. It didn’t matter. Trowa grabbed his jaw with his other hand and tilted his face, forcing Heero’s head to turn up at an angle, allowing him better access to his lover’s mouth. Finally Heero relented, allowing Trowa in, his strangled moans reverberating against Trowa’s tongue.

It wasn’t often that Trowa played the aggressor in their relationship. When they were younger programs Heero had always been insistent on being in control- it was just his personality and Trowa enjoyed occasionally submitting to him - but typically their lovemaking wasn’t as rushed or forceful. Now, strapped for time, frustrated and feeling the urgent need to  _ show _ Heero what he felt, things were moving along at a much different pace.

Normally Trowa would take the time to worship Heero’s body, let his mouth explore the most private and intimate places of him. He would touch every inch of his skin with his hands, breathe in the scent of his hair, feel the warmth of his breath against his cheek while he prepared him for penetration, feeling him from the inside, reveling in every second of their exchange.

Now, his lover reluctantly writhing against him, pinned to the wall, their erections wrapped in the leathery fabric of their light suits, pressed and grinding together he couldn’t take the time to worship him.

_ I could have had this last night,  _ Trowa thought sadly. Trowa had spent the night lying awake, holding Quatre close to comfort him. Nothing else had happened, but if he had tried to explain that to Heero he wouldn’t believe him.  _ I should have done this last night. _

Heero’s hands had changed direction. Initially they had been pushing against his chest, but now they were grasped onto his shoulders, pulling him closer by them. Trowa knew that Heero wasn’t able to hide his feelings for long. He may have tried to put on an icy, cold exterior to push him away but he couldn’t deny his needs. Heero needed Trowa as much as Trowa needed him.

His suspicions were confirmed when he pulled away from their kiss. His partner’s eyes were half-lidded, the chilly and challenging expression that had formerly hardened his face was gone. Now Heero appeared impatient, sultry as he watched him expectantly, waiting for his next move.

The dangers of being caught, derezzed and wiped of memory were long forgotten. All that mattered now was Heero, pinned beneath him, waiting for him to make his next move. The urgent fact that they needed to get to the temple before the Gate closed was hidden beneath all the rest of Trowa’s thoughts. He needed Heero. He needed to show him how much he needed him.

With practiced ease his hands slipped around to his partner’s disc. Pulling Heero away from the wall just long enough to manipulate it, he blindly slipped a finger across the controls, making Heero’s light suit vanish from the waist down. Pixels fell from his lover’s hips, exposing his bare flesh, the light lines on his body pulsing brightly with their joined energies. Heero had grabbed Trowa’s disc and had done the same to him, an action they had both unanimously done many times before.

Within moments Trowa had pinned Heero against the wall again, this time hooking one arm beneath his leg, forcing his body higher so he could press his own body between his thighs. In response Heero wrapped his arms around his shoulders, his ankles crossing around Trowa’s waist.

Trowa could feel Heero’s arousal pressing against his stomach, hard and throbbing, much like his own. He sought his lover’s body out with his own erection, and feeling the faint dip of the entrance to Heero’s body he readied himself and roughly plunged into him.

Heero’s back arched as he was entered, his hands digging at Trowa’s back, a strangled moan escaping his throat. Trowa’s legs trembled. Heero’s body was enthralling and yet familiar, his own cock slipping easily inside, the tightness comforting. He held himself deep inside him, his head hung against Heero’s shoulder, letting the sensation of finally being joined with him tingle across his body.

It had been too long.

Finally, once he had gathered himself he slowly pulled free of him, only to plunge back inside, deeper. Harder. Heero had buried his face against his neck, his lips parted, muted moans silenced against Trowa’s skin.

Once started, Trowa couldn’t stop. He fell into a comfortable rhythm, each inward stroke nestling deeper into Heero’s body. The lines on their bodies eventually started to pulse and flash in sync as their climaxes built together, bodies throbbing with energy in unison.

“Is this… enough…” Trowa panted as he rocked into his lover, holding him up against the wall.

Heero was silent, his body twitching and trembling against him. Trowa felt him nod his head against his shoulder.

“You’ll always be enough,” Heero said softly, his voice faint. Trowa felt his chest tighten at his words. It was what he needed to hear.

Passions flared, he continued sliding himself into Heero’s body, bringing his companion closer to climax. Heero’s body was clenching against him, inside of him almost unbearably hot. Trowa groaned, bit his lip and tried not to be too loud lest they get discovered. Suddenly he found himself at the edge of his release, and there was little he could do to step away from the edge of the summit. Heero’s lips pressed into his neck, traveling up to his ear where he nipped and sucked at his earlobe. It was as if he knew Trowa was almost there, as if he were trying to push him over the edge.

It worked. Trowa shuddered, buried himself deep into Heero’s body and found his release. His body reset hard, every nerve ending and bit of him tingling as his energy overloaded, clearing any and all access in his software.

Heero’s body was clenched around him, his arms holding tightly to his shoulders. Between their bodies he could feel Heero’s erect cock twitch against his stomach before gradually softening. His lover had reset along with him.

Trowa stood there, holding Heero against the wall, still buried deep inside him, unable to move. His legs felt weak, and his arms trembled as he strained to hold him.

“I’m sorry for being so …” Heero began, his voice uneasy, tremulous. Trowa shook his head, slowly letting Heero’s leg down.   
  
“It’s alright. I understand.”   
  
“Stop being such a saint,” Heero grumbled. As Trowa pulled out of his body Heero manipulated his disc for him. His spent arousal was soon encapsulated by his black light suit once again. “I was being an asshole. I’m sorry.” Heero brushed the back of a hand against Trowa’s face, forcing him to meet his gaze. “I love you. Nothing will change that. I won’t let anything or anybody come between us again.”

Trowa nodded and slowly let Heero’s feet touch the ground. He slid his hand behind him to replace his light suit and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, squeezing him against his chest. The tension between them had dissipated and was finally gone. Feeling lighter, he buried his face into Heero’s messy hair and sighed.  “I love you too.”

Crossing the underground city undetected was slow going and required Heero and Trowa to utilize the shadows to their advantage. Luckily the security drones were easy to spot and could be heard on approach, giving them ample time to duck away and hide, avoiding detection. Eventually they made it to the Temple of Radia. Quatre, Duo and the entourage were nowhere to be seen.

The front entrance of the temple was guarded by the Arjian City Guard, not the personal guard Quatre employed, which meant that they couldn’t enter through the front door. Other worshippers and average-looking programs shuffled in and out through the massive double doors, unmolested by the posted security.

“You don’t know this place very well, do you?” Heero asked softly as he peered around the corner of a nearby pillar he and Trowa had taken refuge behind. Through shadow he could see Trowa’s frown as he rubbed at his temple with a finger as if it could help summon some sort of mental map.

“No, sorry.”

Heero shrugged and sighed. “You don’t need to be sorry. We’ll figure something out.” He studied the outside of the building. Unlike the towering structures of the Grid and urban places like Tron City, Arjia City structures had very little access. As it was underground there was little need for windows. The temple had none, the only visible access being the guarded front door.

They had to get inside the temple, through the passageway behind the temple’s towering statue and down through the maze of cool corridors to the cavern that housed the Gate. The temple was highly guarded, at least on the outside.

“We have two options,” Heero murmured to his companion, his eyes narrowing as he peered around the corner at their point of entry. “We try to disguise ourselves again, or we just go in fighting.”

Trowa frowned and pressed his hand against Heero’s shoulder. “I’d like to do this without any more violence.” He didn’t like fighting the Arjian Guard, they were like brothers to him. Colleagues. He didn’t want anyone to be hurt.

“Okay, then a distraction?” Heero offered, running out of ideas. 

Trowa’s eyebrow raised. “Actually, that’s a good idea.” His hand slid up Heero’s arm, caressing the side of his neck before reaching up to casually brush his hair from his eyes. “You used to be good at that. What did you have in mind?”

“They’re expecting us to come through that door,” Heero said, gesturing to the guards. “They’ll be looking for us everywhere. Everywhere but up.”

-

The loud humming sound of energy pulsing from deep beneath the ground was gradually growing louder, indicating that the Gate was open or soon to be, which meant that Heero and Trowa were running out of time. Trowa knew that no matter what, Duo was going to escape. He was with Quatre, and that the ISO wouldn’t let Duo become trapped on the Grid. It was his and Heero’s escape from the Grid that hung in the balance. If they didn’t make it to the Gate in time he doubted that they would have another chance. They’d risked enough just to get to this point. 

They were endangering Quatre and his guard enough as it was. His master was risking everything by aiding and abetting them, opening the Gate enough to let them escape. Quatre had aided the escape of other ISO and rogue programs in the past, but now he was going against the direct orders of the council, a body of people he had helped establish to maintain order within the Arjian ranks. How he was going against his own organization for Trowa and Heero’s sake.

Trowa didn’t know how he could ever repay him. He didn’t know when he would see Quatre  _ to _ repay him, if ever. The thought left a dull ache in his chest.

He was having to choose and it was the hardest choice he’d ever have to make. Stay here, protect Quatre and be his companion or follow Heero into the unknown-- but be whole again.

He yearned to be complete. To feel normal, to reset at whim, to be clear-minded and feel comfortable with who he was, something he had been denied for thirty years. He couldn’t turn away from the opportunity to  _ be _ what he really was: a single unit from a binary pair.

He looked over at his partner who was crouched atop the highest tower of the temple beside him, peering down over the edge of the curved roof at the guards below. Heero’s disc was in hand, his expression determined.

“What do you need that for?” Trowa questioned, gesturing to Heero’s disc. His partner hadn’t explained his plan, only insisted that they climb overhead so he could execute his distraction. “You’re not going to derez them… ?”

Heero shook his head. “No. I’m going to sacrifice it.”

Trowa frowned, his eyes widening with concern. “What? Your disc?”

Heero’s knuckles were white as he gripped the disc tightly. He didn’t look up from his study of the guards below. “Yes. Soon I’m not going to need it anymore, anyway.”

“Heero, that’s your personal information. Your data. You can’t just throw it away.”

Heero finally looked up from his inspection and frowned at Trowa. “We need a distraction.” He gestured up to the high ceiling of the massive cavern that housed the underground city. High above the ceiling was occluded with a thin, misty layer of cloud. Nearly three stories below the guards were scanning anyone who passed by, assisted by two security drones who ran checks on passing program codes. “We need them to move away just long enough for us to fall through the cracks.”

Trowa grabbed Heero’s arm and shook his head. “There’s got to be another way. You don’t need to use your disc. We can generate something to distract them.”

“There’s no time,” Heero said flatly. “I don’t need this anyway. It’s tarnished. Tainted.”

“What are you talking about?” Trowa murmured. “It holds your memories.”

“Which you now possess, too.” Heero pointed out as he hefted his disc lightly in hand.   
  
“My disc is damaged,” Trowa said quickly, referring to the hairline crack in his own identity disc. Heero locked eyes with him, his expression somber.   
  
“Damaged because of me. Damaged protecting me. Your disc is us. It’s pure, it holds everything that we are: my memories, your memories,  _ your code. YOU _ are me.” Heero held his disc up again with a frown. “I don’t trust this anymore. I can’t trust it. Who’s to say there isn’t anything else hidden in this code that could turn on you, or hurt you? What if we get to the Gate and I… it happens again?”

Trowa could see the anguish and confusion in Heero’s face. “You’re worried about hurting me again?”

“Yes,” Heero replied sharply. “I don’t want to take that risk. I don’t want that part of me to linger, to be ingrained within me when we pass through the Gate. We don’t know what is about to happen to us. Will our code become part of us? What if on the other side I can’t take it out? I can’t delete the shadow of what I’ve been?” He paused, his eyes reflecting pain as he revisited his most recent memories. “If we go, we go together, and we should bring only the best part of us through the Gate. Your part.”

Trowa didn’t know what to say. Heero made some decent points, but there was something self-sacrificial and uncomfortably suicidal about the idea of his partner throwing himself away for the sake of a distraction. There had to be another way, but they were running out of time, making it impossible to argue with him.

“Alright. Tell me what to do,” Trowa conceded defeat and slid his hand down to Heero’s lower back, caressing his spine encouragingly, painfully aware now of the blank space between Heero’s shoulder blades.

“I’m doing to detonate it over there,” Heero indicated a low, artificial wooded area nearby which served as a park. There was nobody there. “When they move away from the door I need you to help me get down there.”

Trowa understood what he meant. He needed no further explanation. “Okay.”

With a nod Heero stood, balancing on the apex of the peaked roof, opened the menu on his disc and slid his finger across the hologram, activating the self-destruction mode. He plugged in a detonation time: fifteen seconds.

Then he activated it. With a powerful heave his disc sliced the air, making a gentle arc until it landed among the trees. Seconds later there was a loud explosion as the disc burst, shooting pixels in every direction, sending a small shockwave rippling through the air. Heero doubled over for a moment, gasping, holding his stomach as if he were about to be sick. Directly below the security drones immediately reacted to the blast, humming over to the trees to investigate. The guards stepped away from the door, their weapons raised as if at any moment an enemy was going to rush out from the woods to attack them. They had officially left their post. Trowa slid his arm around Heero’s waist, supporting him against his torso and stepped off of the edge of the roof, snatched his own disc from his back and slammed it into the front facia of the temple, letting it slow their fall as it dug into and dragged through the hard, shining white marble.   
  
Sirens were blaring from above as more security responded to the blast. Heero had been right, they had needed a distraction, and it had worked.

Trowa landed lightly on the ground in front of the door, arm still firmly wrapped around his partner and ducked through the doorway before anyone could detect them, leaving a long, thin vertical cut in the marble behind him.

Once inside he spotted two of Quatre’s personal guard, who immediately recognized him. Rather than sound the alarm they gestured to the far end of the temple where the statue of Radia stood. Behind it was the passageway to the Gate. Another pair of guards stepped out of the way as they approached.

Heero was staggering, his voice muffled, distant as his body looped what operational code he had internally installed. A normal program could still exist without a disc but would lose everything- memories, specific programming, talents, coding. They often became dumb, repetitive and served no real purpose, which ultimately led to them being derezzed simply because they were a nuisance. 

Being binary made Heero unique and as a second half of a whole his unique coding enabled him to draw from Trowa’s code as if they were one. As long as they were in physical contact Heero could draw from Trowa’s disc and maintain his operational status. It wasn’t ideal, but it was enough functionality to last them until they made it to the Gate. What would become of Heero once they passed through the Gate was unknown.

Trowa was worried, but there wasn’t time to dwell on the hypotheticals. He had to focus on acting and getting his partner through the Gate without becoming separated.

Quatre’s guard allowed them into the passageway. Behind them Trowa heard the sound of the security drones screeching and buzzing. Had they found or detected them? Were they being pursued?

Rushing through the chilled corridors he could hear and feel the energy of the Gate up ahead, the power conduit fluxing, causing the air within the chamber to electrify and stimulate every pixel of his body. As he stumbled out into the massive cavern he spotted Duo standing on the edge of the dropoff above the conduit, Quatre beside him with his hands held up to his chest, eyes closed, deeply focused on stabilizing the Gate.   
  
“Hurry!” Trowa yelled, his voice barely audible over the crackling and popping of electricity that filled the high, black ceiling. Duo looked over his shoulder, eyes wide, though expression relieved to see him. “I’m right behind you! Jump!”

Duo smiled. He nodded, turned back to the Gate and stared down at the bright light before he lunged forward, diving into the unknown, vanishing inside a web of crackling electricity.

The sound of boots beating against the smooth stone of the corridor behind him blended with the persistent, high-pitched whine of security drones as they closed in. They were being pursued. The city security had broken through Quatre’s guard.

“Heero, come on, one foot in front of the other,” Trowa murmured, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice as he dragged his companion towards the far end of the cavern to the conduit. 

_ We’re running out of time, _ Trowa felt the panic welling in his chest. He clutched his disc and pulled Heero along with him as he rushed to the edge of the dropoff. Below was nothing but brilliant, blinding tongues of white light lashing and licking at the black stone’s edge as if in an attempt to lure them in. Trowa stopped, his toes hanging over the edge and looked to his left where Quatre stood, unmoving, eyes closed, twenty feet away.

Too far away.  _ I can’t even say goodbye _ …

Suddenly the cavern was filled with the blaring screech of the security drones as they buzzed out of the passageway and into the cavern, followed by a swarm of city guard who were shouting and yelling, pointing at them, closing in.

Trowa tightened his grip on Heero, who was barely standing, leaning heavily against his side. He had to go. He had to jump, but his body couldn’t move. Frozen in the moment, he couldn’t take another step forward, he couldn’t abandon Quatre - Elios, his master, the one person he was fully meant to serve.

It was against his directive. He couldn’t abandon him.

_I can’t do this..._   
  
The guards were only yards away. He looked at Quatre, desperate, trying to instill the image of his peaceful face in his memory, every detail. His pale pink lips, the flush on his porcelain cheeks, the way his blond hair fell across his eyes and rested against his softly curving cheekbones. Immediately his mind supplied more details to paint a complete picture of him; the chilled feeling of the ISO’s fingers as they caressed his face, the mellow, sweet smell of his skin as he lie beside him, how Quatre’s legs felt as they tangled in sleep with his own.

_ Goodbye, Ancile. _ His master’s voice, sweet, kind, nonjudgmental, filled his ears.  _ You have to hurry. I can’t hold much longer… _

Quatre’s eyes opened and locked with Trowa’s.

“Quatre-” Trowa didn’t get a chance to finish his thought as Heero suddenly stepped off the edge, throwing him off balance, sending them both plunging into the conduit.

The last thing Trowa saw before the world went dark was Quatre’s faint smile before his master shrunk into the distance, his body roughly overtaken by the swarm of city guards.


End file.
